I 



w 






llli : ; 



1 



mmm 



Pi 

mm 

Wmm 



lite 







bortn, Jh»ck ttk, ft??. 



GOSPEL TIDINGS: 



A SERIES OF SERMONS 



Leading Doctrines of the Gospel, 

BY 

SAMUEL WAKEFIELD, D D, LL. D. 



Author of "Christian Theology," "A Systematic Exposition of the Con- 
structive Principles of the English Language" ; and Professor of Sacred 
Music. 



" If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God."— St. Peter. 



PRINTED BY MYERS, SHINKLE & CO., 

523 WOOD STREET, 

PITTSBURGH, PA. 



2°f9?y l 



\ \<=X r 



THE LIBRARY | 
Of CONGRESS I 

WASHINGTOH 



,U)ZZ<3[3S 



COPYRIGHTED BY THE AUTHOR. 



Pref; 



ace. 



The author, in presenting this volume of Sermons to the 
public, thinks it proper that it should be accompanied by a 
brief statement of the reasons which led to its publication. 
He is aware thatf this kind of literature is not the most 
popular ; that thousands give their reading hours to maga- 
zines, plays, novels, travels, biography, and the daily papers, 
while only a few turn aside to the reading of sermons ; and 
that therefore their publication in book form is not profitable 
to the trade, any more than the preaching of the Gospel is 
contributive to the wealth of the Christian ministry. But if 
it is wise and proper that a man should spend his life in pro- 
claiming the Gospel to his fellow men in order that they may 
be saved, to leave behind him appliances, which may be made 
instrumental in securing the same benevolent end, cannot be 
a matter of trivial import. Whether therefore the publish- 
ing of sermons in'book form be profitable or unprofitable, in 
its relation to dollars and cents, if it can be made a means of 
winning souls to Christ, the result will justify all necessary 
expenditures. He who is instrumental in converting a 
sinner from the error of his way, saves a soul from death, 
and hides a multitude of sins. 

The author commenced his ministerial career in the morn- 
ing of life, and with a strong and abiding conviction that woe 



awaited him, if he refused to preach the Gospel. Believing 
therefore, as he did, that God had called him to his sacred 
office, he resolved that his life work should be to gain a 
knowledge of the truth, to proclaim it to others, and to 
preach, " Jesus Christ, and Him crucified " to all. And now 
that more than seventy years have passed away since he 
entered upon the duties of his calling, and that he is begin- 
ning to realize the infirmities of age, he feels deeply impressed 
with the solemn fact, that " the time of his departure is at 
hand." 

A retrospection of his life brings sorrow to his heart because 
of his many imperfections, and because he has done so little 
for God and for the salvation of men ; but he has great 
comfort in believing that he has " not run in vain, neither 
labored in vain." God has graciously made him the humble 
instrument in leading sinners to a knowledge of salvation ; 
some of whom have gone to their eternal reward ; while 
others, in the militant Church, are still battling for the 
crown of life. 

In the preparation and publication of this volume the 
author had two distinct objects in view. The first was, to 
place within the reach of his numerous friends a suitable 
memento, when they shall see his face no more. But the 
second and main object was, to leave behind him a body of 
evangelical instruction which might be the means of lead- 
ing some to a knowledge of salvation, " When his poor 
lisping, stammering tongue lies silent in the grave." 



2 - 



Ind 



ex. 



The Angelic Anthem, 1 

" And suddenly there was with the an<zel a multitude of 
the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, Glory to God 
in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men." 
(Luke 2: 13, 14.) 

Agrippa's Confession, 19 

" Then said Aggrippa unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest 
me to be a Christian." (Acts 26 : 28.) 

The Saviour Found, 40 

" We have found Him of whom Moses in the law and 
the prophets did write ; Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of 
Joseph." (John 1 : 45.) 

Conversion and its Evidence, 64 

" We know that we have passed from death unto life." 
(I. John 3:14.) 

Eternal Life in Christ, 81 

" God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is 
in His Son." (I. John 5 : 11.) 

The Penitent Backslider, 93 

"Kestore unto me the joy of Thy salvation, and uphold 
me with Thy free Spirit," &c. (Psa. 51 : 13.) 

The Happy Man, 104 

tl Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of 
the ungodly, nor standeth on the way of sinners, nor sitteth 
in the seat of the scornful, but his delight is in the law of 
the Lord, and in His law doth he meditate day and night. 
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, 
that bringeth forth his fruit in his season : his leaf also shall 
not wither ; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper." (Psa. 
I : 1-3.) 

Resurrection of Christ, I16 

" But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become 
the first fruits of them that slept." (I. Cor. 15 : 20.) 



index.— continued. 
Peefect Law of Libebty, 127 

"Whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and 
continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a 
doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed." 
(James 1 : 25.) 

Light with Men, 146 

"Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while 
ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you : for he that 
walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth." 
(John 12: 35.) 

Faith, Hope and Chaeity, 159 

" And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three ; 
but the greatest of these is charity." (I. Cor. 13 : 13.) 

Self Examination, 177 

"Examine yourselves whether ye be in the faith ; prove 
your own selves," &c. (II. Cor. 13 : 5.) 

The Home of the Blessed, 195 

" In Thy presence is fullness of joy ; at Thy right hand 
there are pleasures for evermore." (Psa. 16 : 11.) 

Eteenal Life by the Ceoss, 210 

" As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even 
so must the Son of Man be lifted up ; that whosoever 
believeth in Him should not perish," &c. (John 3 : 14.) 

The Penitent Malefactoe, 224 

" Lord, remember me when Thou comest into Thy king- 
dom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To- 
day shalt thou be with Me in Paradise." ( Luke 23 : 42, 43.) 

The Christian's Doxology, 237 

"Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins 
in His own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto 
God and His Father ; to Him be glory and dominion for 
ever and ever. Amen." (Rev. 1 : 5, 6.) 



index. continued. 

The Great Teacher, 257 

" When Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were 
astonished at His doctrine, for He taught them as one having 
authority, and not as the Scribes." (Matt. 7 : 28, 29.) 

Receiving Christ, 276 

" As many as received Him, to them gave He power to 
become the Sons of God ; even to them that believe on His 
name." (John 1 : 12.) 

Ascension of Christ, 298 

" He that descended is the same also that ascended up 
far above all heavens, that He might fill all things." 
(Ephes. 4 : 10.) 

Salvation made known by the Spirit, 312 

"Hereby we know that He abideth in us, by the Spirit 
which He hath given us." (I. John 3 : 24.) 

Trust in God, 334 

" Trust ye in the Lord for ever ; for in the Lord 
JEHOVAH is everlasting strength." (Isaiah 26 : 4.) 

The Knowledge of Christ, 350 

" I count all things but loss for the excellency of the 
knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord." (Phil. 3:8.) 

Labor and Reward, 372 

"Therefore my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, un- 
moveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, foras- 
much as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord." 
(II. Cor. 15 : 58.) 

Redeeming: Love, 388 

" God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten 
Son, that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, 
but have everlasting life." (John 3 : 16.) 



index. continued. 

David's Charge to Solomon, 408 

" And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of 
thy father, and serve Him with a perfect heart, and with a 
willing mind : for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and under- 
standeth all the imaginations of the thoughts : if thou seek 
Him He will be found of thee, but if thou forsake Him, 
He will cast thee off forever." (I. Chron. 23 : 9.) 

Piety and its Influence, 419 

"Let them that love Him be as the sun, when hegoeth 
forth in his might." (Judges 5 : 31.) 

Perpetuity of the Law 429 

"Till heaven and earth pass, onejotorone tittle shall in 
no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. (Matt. 5: 18.) 

Peter's Fall and Kecovery, 435 

" But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not ; and 
when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren." (Luke 
22 : 32.) 

Faith in God 449 

" Have faith in God." (Mark. 11 : 22.) 

Thanksgiving, 465 

" Offer unto God Thanksgiving." (Psalm 50 : 14.) 

The Service of Christ, 478 

"If any man serve Me, him will My Father honor." 
(John 12 : 26.) 

Character of Daniel, 492 

" Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, 
he went into his house ; and, his windows being opened in 
his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees 
three times a day, and prayed and gave thanks before his 
God, as he did aforetime." (Dan. 6 : 10.) 



The Angelic Anthem 



" And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the 
heavenly host, praising God, and saying, Glory to God in 
the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men." 
{Luke 2 : 13, 14.) 

There is Gospel truth, as well as poetic beauty in the 
declaration, " 'Twas great to speak a world from naught ; 
'Twas greater to redeem." Hence, if when the Almighty 
Architect laid the foundations of the earth His first born sons 
shouted for joy, it was eminently proper that the congregated 
host of heaven should celebrate, in songs of rapturous praise, 
the nativity of the world's Eedeemer. 

The first announcement of this wonderful event was made 
by a heavenly messenger — perhaps the angel Gabriel, to the 
shepherds of Bethlehem, who were keeping watch over their 
flocks by night. The history, as given by St. Luke, is both 
graphic and sublime. He says, " Lo, the angel of the Lord 
came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round 
about them ; and they were sore afraid. And the angel said 
unto them, Fear not ; for, behold, I bring you good tidings 
of great joy, which shall be to all people : for unto you is 
born this clay, in the city of David, a Saviour, which is 
Christ the Lord." 



A THE ANGELIC ANTHEM. 

Thus far, the angelic message may be regarded as a pre- 
lusive solo to that heaven inspired chorus, which burst upon 
the ears of the astonished shepherds ; for, " suddenly there 
was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising 
God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth 
peace, good will towards men." 

This angelic anthem calls our attention to several interest- 
ing facts, in relation to the subject of human redemption. It 
teaches us, either directly or by implication, that the work of 
redemption originated in the Divine benevolence ; that it is 
the means of reconciliation between God and man ; that it is 
declarative of the Divine glory; that it is promotive of 
"peace on earth;" and that it has the sympathy and co- 
ojDeration of holy angels. 

I. The work of redemption originated in Divine 
benevolence. Its source was, " good will towards men." 
When " sin entered into the world " by the transgression of 
our first parents, they became subject to death ; which was 
the penalty of the law under which God had placed them. 
The day of their fall was doubtless the darkest day they ever 
saw. Their joyous songs of praise and adoration, which had 
floated out upon the zephyrs of Eden, were suddenly ex- 
changed for wailings of sorrow, of self-reproach, and of sad 
despair ; while the pall of death, in somber foldings, 
draped every object within the horizon of their mental vision. 

So enormous was their crime, that it called down the 
curse of heaven upon the very ground from which their 



THE ANGELIC ANTHEM. 6 

bodies had been formed. They were debarred from the im- 
mortalizing fruit of the tree of life, and expelled from their 
Paradisian home — the most delightful place this side heaven. 
Thus they became houseless and homeless wanderers in a 
dreary world, doomed to eat bread in the sweat of their face, 
until they should return to the dust whence they had been 
taken. And if to this catalogue of evils we add a tormenting 
fear of temporal and eternal death, we will have a description 
approaching correctness, of the moral condition of fallen 
man. 

Had God executed the penalty of His law upon the 
original offenders it would have been strictly just ; but while 
that event would have terminated the history of man upon 
the earth, it would also have defeated the Divine purposes 
respecting the race. Moreover, God " is not willing that any 
should perish." His infinite benevolence inclines Him to 
exercise grace and mercy towards His moral creatures, as far 
as His rectoral justice permits. As God knew the end from 
the beginning, He saw that He could redeem His fallen 
children " from the curse of the law ; " and that this benevo- 
lent end could be accomplished in perfect harmony with the 
rights of all His creatures, the claims of His own eternal 
justice, and the dignity of His moral government. He saw, 
too, that the accomplishment of this end involved the necessity 
of the incarnation, sufferings and death of His beloved Son ; 
but such was His " good will towards men," that He did not 
hesitate to make the priceless sacrifice. " God so loved the 



4 THE ANGELIC ANTHEM. 

world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever 
believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting 
life." (John 3 : 16.) "In this was manifested the love of 
God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son 
into the world, that we might live through Him." (I. John 
4:9.) 

This love of pity or compassion on the part of God the 
Father was so transcendently great, that there is nothing in 
the history of men with which we can justly compare it. 
St. Paul says, " Scarcely for a righteous man will one die ; 
yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to 
die : but God commendeth His love toward us, in that, 
while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom. 5:7, 
8.) No wonder St. John exclaimed, " Herein is Love /" — 
such a manifestation of it as no where else appears, " not that 
we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be 
the propitiation for our sins." (I. John 4 : 10.) 

But as the benevolence of the Father was shown in the 
adoption of the redeeming plan, so the benevolence of the Son 
was equally manifested in its execution. The Psalmist, per- 
sonating the promised Deliverer, says, " Lo, I come ; in the 
volume of the book it is written of me ; I delight to do thy 
will, O my God." (Psa, 40 : 7, 8.) Jesus said, " My meat 
is to do the will of Him that sent me, and to finish his 
work." (John 4 : 34.) Again, " No man taketh my life 
from me, but I lay it down of myself." (John 10:18.) 
St. Paul asserts that He, " for the joy that was set before Him 



THE ANGELIC ANTHEM. 

endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at 
the right hand of God." (Heb. 12:2.) We see, therefore, 
that human redemption, both in plan and execution, origin- 
ated in Divine benevolence. 

II. The work of redemption is the means of rec- 

ONCILATION BETWEEN GOD AND MAN. TllUS the angels 

were authorized to proclaim, in their anthem of praise, " good 
will towards men." The purpose of God in sending His be- 
loved Son into the world was, as St. John has expressed it, 
" To destroy the works of the Devil " ; or, in other words, to 
bring fallen man into harmony with His moral government. 
This process of saving grace is spoken of, in the New Testa- 
ment Scriptures, as the restoring of peace and good will be- 
tween contending parties ; and is therefore designated by the 
verb reconcile, or the noun reconciliation. Now, as these terms 
necessarily imply a previous state of mutual hostility between 
God and man, the redeeming plan contemplated the recon- 
cilement both of God to man, and of man to God. We 
therefore remark, 

1. That the work of redemption has reconciled God to man. 
When we speak of reconciliation on the part of God, we do 
not wish to convey the idea that He ever was, or ever will be 
possessed of wrathful feelings toward any of His creatures. 
* We have shown that the work of redemption originated 
in Divine benevolence ; but it must not be forgotten that, 



* The wrath or anger of God is frequently spoken of in the Scriptures, hut 
these terms mean nothing more than His hatred of moral evil, and the just 
punishments which He, as a righteous Judge, inflicts upon the ungodly. 



b THE ANGELIC ANTHEM. 

while God is love/ 9 and loving to all, He is also infinitely 
just. Hence it follows, that however strongly He may be 
inclined to pity and to pardon the transgressors of His law, 
He cannot exercise clemency toward them at the expense of 
His rectoral justice. It is a principle in the moral govern- 
ment of God, that sin cannot go unpunished. Every trans- 
gressor must suffer the penalty of the law which he violates, 
unless he is redeemed by some consideration which is equiva- 
lent, in the Divine administration, to the execution of the 
penalty. But as such a consideration cannot be provided by 
fallen man, his only way of escape from the penalty of the 
law, is by some Divinely executed expedient, which reconciles 
the bestowment of pardon with the claims of justice. 

It is of such an expedient we speak, when we say that the 
work of redemption has reconciled God to man. It has done 
this, by removing every obstruction, on the part of God, to 
the free exercise of His saving grace. " For if when we 
were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His 
Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His 
life." (Rom. 5 : 10.) From the phrase, " reconciled to God," 
some have concluded that the apostle is speaking of men's rec- 
onciliation to God by conversion; but this cannot be for several 
reasons. First, He speaks of it as being purely a Divine act, 
without any allusion to human agency or concurrence : " We 
were reconciled to God by the death of His Son." Secondly, 
He represents it as having been effected while we were in a state 
of rebellion : " When we were enemies, Ave were reconciled 



THE ANGELIC ANTHEM. 7 

to God." Thirdly, He speaks of a reconciliation which pre- 
cedes our reconcilement to God in conversion, and is in order 
to it : " If when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God 
by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall 
be saved by His life." (Rom. 5 : 10.) The obvious mean- 
ing of the passage is, that God, by the vicarious death 
of His Son, has so harmonized the salvation of fallen man 
with the principles of His moral government, that He may 
" be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." 
(Eom. 3 : 26.) 

2. The work of redemption has secured to man gracious 
privileges and appliances which, if properly improved, will 
eventuate in his reconcilement to God. The blessings which 
come to us through the mediation of Jesus Christ, and un- 
conditionally, are both numerous and unspeakably great ; 
but time will not allow us to do more, than to glance at a few 
of them. We notice, 

(1.) Our restoration to a probationary state. Such was the 
state of man when God created him and placed him in his 
Eden home ; but by one act of transgression he forfeited his 
state of probation, and became liable to the penalty of the 
law. It was then that God, in the economy of redemption, 
stayed the execution of His law upon fallen man, by granting 
him a new trial for his life, and a day of probation. This 
in itself, was life from the dead ; and as he was thus 
graciously restored to a probationary state, so all his posterity 
are partakers of the same benefit. There is one fact, how- 



8 THE ANGELIC ANTHEM. 

ever, in which this state of probation differs from that in 
which our first parents were placed. With them no sin was 
pardonable ; and therefore, one transgression put an end to 
their day of trial, and called for retribution. But now, 
though the covenant of grace gives no license to sin, yet it 
makes provision for the pardon of penitent sinners, and for 
the continuance of their probationary state. It may there- 
fore be strictly true, that 

" While the lamp holds out to burn, 
The vilest sinner may return." 

(2.) The Holy Bible. This is a written revelation of the 
will of God respecting our fallen race. It is called the Bible, 
from the Greek word pipiog, book ; because it is the book, by 
way of eminence. It is the best book ever written, and of 
more value to mankind than all other books taken together. 
It is our only infallible directory in morals and religion, and 
the standard according to which our final destiny shall be 
determined. 

The moral influence of the Sacred Scriptures, in reconcil- 
ing men to God, is forcibly presented by the Psalmist. He 
says, " The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul : 
the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple : 
the statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart : the 
commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes : 
the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever : the judg- 
ments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More 
to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold ; 



THE ANGELIC ANTHEM. \) 

sweeter also than honey and the honey-comb. Moreover, by 
them is thy servant warned ; and in keeping of them there is 
great reward." (Psa. 19:7-11.) St. Paul testifies of the 
Sacred Scriptures, that they are profitable for doctrine, for 
reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness ; that 
the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto 
all good works." (II. Tim. 3 : 16, 17.) 

(3.) The unconditional operations of the Holy Spirit. That 
the Spirit of God can convey truth to the human mind, inde- 
pendent of the letter of revealed religion, must be admitted; 
for to deny it is to deny the possibility of a Divine revelation. 
Jesus said to His disciples, " When He (the Comforter) is 
come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, 
and of judgment." And again He said, " When He, the 
Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth." 
(John 16 : 8-13.) As our heavenly Father occupied advance 
ground in the work of Reconciling the world unto Himself," 
and as Jesus Christ gave Himself freely and unconditionally 
for man's redemption, so the Holy Spirit takes the initiative 
of our personal salvation. He comes to us, that we may 
come to God. 

(4.) A Gospel Ministry. The appointment of a class of 
men to preach the Gospel, and to administer the holy sacra- 
ments, was a crowning event in the history of redemption. 
To preach the Gospel is to declare the facts, the doctrines, 
the precepts, and the promises involved in the work of our 
salvation. It is, in a word, to show what God has done to 
save us, and what we must do to be saved. 



10 THE ANGELIC ANTHEM. 

We believe that God, in His infinite benevolence, has done 
all which can be done, consistent with man's moral agency, 
to save the world. His appeal to Israel, as reported by the 
prophet, may be fitly applied here : " What could have been 
done more to my vineyard that I have not done in it ? " 
(Isa. 5: 4.) But the gracious arrangements which God has 
devised for our recovery do not imply that we are reconciled 
to Him. It still remains an aAvful truth, that unconverted 
men are His enemies. " That which is born of the flesh is 
flesh; " and " they who are in the flesh cannot please God." 
Moreover, " The carnal mind is enmity against God.' 7 

To complete a reconciliation between man and his Maker 
is the leading object of the Gospel ministry. The Gospel 
itself is called " the word of reconciliation" because, first, it is 
an inspired record of what God has done, to reconcile the 
world unto Himself; secondly, it is promissory of what He 
will do for those who become reconciled to Him ; and thirdly, 
it is the Divinely appointed means by which this reconcilia- 
tion is to be effected. " It is the power of God unto salva- 
tion to every one that believeth." (Rom. 1: 16.) 

Though the commission, " Go ye into all the world, and 
preach the Gospel to every creature," was given directly to 
the apostles of our Lord, it was doubtless intended to be the 
charter under which their successors in the ministry should 
proclaim the Gospel of peace. This is clearly implied in the 
promise of the Saviour, " Lo, I am with you alway, even to 
the end of the world." All, therefore, who are called of 



THE ANGELIC ANTHEM. 11 

God to this sacred office, may legitimately employ the 
language of St. Paul, and say, " Now then we are ambassa- 
dors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us : we 
pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." (II. Cor. 
5 : 20.) 

III. The work of redemption is declarative of 
the Divine glory. Hence the angels ascribe " glory to 
God in the highest." They teach us the lesson that it is the 
duty of all moral creatures, both in heaven and on earth, to 
ascribe to God, in the highest strains of adoring praise, the 
glory of our redemption. There are many ways in which 
this event manifests the glory of God, a few of which we will 
notice. And 

1. It demonstrates His infinite wisdom. When we speak 
of the wisdom of God, we mean that attribute of His nature, 
by which He orders and controls all things, so as to promote 
in the highest degree, His own glory and the good of His 
creatures. That His wisdom is gloriously manifested in the 
works of nature, no sane man will deny; but it is equally 
true, that it is manifested in His works of Providence and 
Grace. 

It was Divine wisdom, as well as Divine grace, which 
" contrived a way to save rebellious man." It is hardly to 
be supposed that, when he fell, either holy or unholy angels 
believed his redemption to be possible ; for there was nothing 
in their history to lead to such a conclusion. Moreover, the 
fact that " God spared not the angels who sinned, but cast 



12 THE ANGELIC ANTHEM. 

them down to hell," would naturally incline them to regard 
all sin as unpardonable. When Satan induced our first 
parents to sin against God, he confidently expected, judging 
from his own experience, that their eternal destruction would 
be the necessary consequence. Nor do we believe that any 
created mind could have devised a plan, in agreement with 
the character of God and the principles of His moral govern- 
ment, by which sinners might be saved from condign punish- 
ment, and restored to the Divine approval. But God, in 
His infinite wisdom, has solved this difficult problem, and 
has revealed the solution of it in Christ's redeeming work. 

The wisdom of God is also manifested in so overruling the 
wicked doings of His enemies, as to promote thereby His 
own benevolent purposes. It was " by wicked hands " that 
the Jews put our Lord to death; but in the plan of redemp- 
tion His death was the life of the world. They desired, 
moreover, that He should die upon the cross: hence their 
clamorous cry, " Let Him be crucified ! " They doubtless 
thought that this would involve Him in eternal infamy, and 
crush out His rising kingdom. But how perfectly vain were 
all their wicked and puny efforts ! Gocl did suffer them to 
crucify His beloved Son; but He so controlled the tragic 
event, that the cross of Christ has become the glory of the 
Christian Church, and the ensign of her conquering legions. 

Little did the Jews think, while preparing the cross on 
which the Saviour died, that they were raising to His 
memory an imperishable monument, on which should be in- 



THE ANGELIC ANTHEM. 13 

scribed His name, His character, and His redeeming work, 
to be read by all succeeding generations of men. Little did 
they think that the pliant hand which they were nailing to 
the cross would subsequently shake the kingdom of darkness 
to its very center; or that it would wield a scepter over a con- 
quered world, when the potentates of earth shall have been 
forgotten. 

2. It honors the justice of God. When man, by transgres- 
sion, became liable to the penalty of the law, he was redeem- 
ed from its curse by Jesus Christ, AVho " bore our sins in 
His own body, on the tree." In this wonderful substitution 
we have a forcible proof of the inflexible justice of God, 
written in characters of blood upon the cross of calvary; for 
in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ Divine Justice is as 
fully satisfied, as it could be in the infliction of the penalty. 
We see, therefore, that through the meditation of our blessed 
Redeemer it is as just, as it is benevolent, to pardon trans- 
gressors, and to save the lost. 

3. It is a glorious vindication of the Divine veracity. 
That the truthfulness of God is triumphantly vindicated by 
the history of redemption must be seen, if we compare the 
predictions of the Old Testament, in regard to this subject, 
with their fulfillment as recorded in the New Testament. 

Four thousand years before the Christian era God com- 
forted the first human transgressor, by giving her the promise, 
that one of her offspring should bruise the head of the 
serpent. Twenty-one hundred years later He said to 



14 THE ANGELIC ANTHEM. 

Abraham, " In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be 
blessed." Sixteen hundred and ninety years before the 
advent of Christ, Jacob was inspired to say, " The scepter 
shall not depart from Judah, nor a law-giver from between 
his feet, till Shiloh come; and unto Him shall the gathering of 
the people be." (Gen. 49 : 10.) About seven hundred and 
fifty years before the nativity of our Lord, Isaiah made this re- 
markable announcement ; " Behold, a virgin shall conceive, 
and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel ;" which 
is God with us. (Isaiah 7 : 14.) 

If, to these Messianic predictions, which are only a few of 
the many on record, we add the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah, 
and then read, in the New Testament, the exact fulfillment 
of all, we can not fail to see, that the veracity of God is 
gloriously manifested in the history of redemption; and that 
in His infallible word we have a solid foundation for our 
faith and trust. " God is not a man, that He should lie ; 
neither the son of man, that He should repent : hath He said, 
and shall He not do it ? or hath He spoken, and shall He 
not make it good ? " (Num. 23 : 19.) 

IV. The work of redemption is promotive of 

PEACE ON EARTH, AND HARMONY AMONG MEN. To unite 

our fallen race in one universal brotherhood, by the bonds of 
Christian faith and Christian charity, was evidently the pur- 
pose of God in the plan of redemption. Jesus said, "And I, 
if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." 
(John 12: 32.) In this declaration He referred to the 



THE ANGELIC ANTHEM. 15 

manner in which He expected to die ; predicting at the same 
time, that His death upon the cross should become the center 
of moral attraction to the human family. On a certain oc- 
casion, after our Lord had offered a most pathetic prayer to 
the Father, in behalf of His immediate disciples, He used 
this impressive language : " Neither pray I for these alone, 
but for them also which shall believe on me through their 
word; that they all may be one ; as Thou, Father, art in me, 
and I in Thee ; that they also may be one in us." (John 
17 : 20, 21.) This unifying power of the cross is realized by 
all who believe the Gospel. They become bound together by 
the golden chain of love — love to God, and love to man ; for 
those who are reconciled to God must necessarily be reconciled 
to one another. " Every one that loveth Him that begat, 
loveth him also that is begotten of Him." (I. John 5 : 1.) 

The exercise of Christian charity, which St. Paul calls 
." the bond of perfectness" is absolutely necessary to the attain- 
ment of the highest degree of domestic happiness, social en- 
joyment, or political peace and prosperity ; and though moral 
evil, in ten thousand forms, now everywhere abounds, yet 
" the sure word of prophecy " authorizes us to hope, that the 
time will come, under the reign of the Messiah, when univer- 
sal peace, harmony, and love, shall characterize our world. 
" It shall come to pass in the last days," said Isaiah, u that 
the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the 
top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills ; 
and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall 



16 THE ANGELIC ANTHEM. 

go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the 
Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob ; and He will teach 
us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths — and they 
shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into 
pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against 
nation, neither shall they learn war any more." (Isaiah 2 : 
2-4). 

Y. The work of redemption has the sympathy 

AND COOPERATION OF HOLY ANGELS. Their SOUg IS "Glory 

to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards 
men ! " Of these angelic beings we know nothing, save 
what God has seen proper to reveal to us in His word. 
From this source Ave learn, that they are an order of moral 
creatures superior to man. They excel men in power, in in- 
telligence, and in spirituality. Hence they are spoken of as 
"angels that excel in strength." "angels of light," and as 
angels who are made "spirits." 

Of the time of their creation we have no definite account. 
Job seems to have entertained the opinion, that when the 
material universe was created, angels were interested and joy- 
ous spectators of the wonderful event; for he reveals the 
fact, that when God " laid the foundations of the earth," 
" the morning-stars sang together, and all the sons of God 
shouted for joy." (Job 38 : 7.) It is the common opinion of 
theologians, that those " morning-stars" and "sons of God" 
were the holy angels ; and if so, they may have been called 
into existence long before the creation of man. 



THE ANGELIC ANTHEM. 17 

How the angels became acquainted with the purpose of 
God to save fallen man, and with the plan which He devised 
for the accomplishment of this benevolent purpose, we pre- 
tend not to know; but we do know, that the scheme of man's 
recovery was to them a subject of interesting and intense 
study. Peter informs us that the prophets labored to under- 
stand, more fully than they did, their own predictions in re- 
lation to the saving results of redemption ; and then adds 
" which things the angels desire to look into." 

Angelic agency is frequently brought into view, in the 
history of redemption ; but instead of giving an extended ac- 
count of this subject, we can only call attention to a few facts, 
to prove that the work of redemption has the sympathy and 
cooperation of holy angels. The evidence of this lies in the 
history of their doings, both in relation to the Eedeemer 
Himself, and to the redeemed. 

The nativity of our Lord was not only proclaimed by a 
heavenly messenger, but was celebrated by a convention of 
holy angels, in a song of praise such as earth had never heard, 
since God had laid its foundations. He realized angelic 
sympathy both in the wilderness of temptation, and while 
agonizing in the garden ; and when He was about to 
leave the tomb angels were there to roll away the stone, and 
to proclaim His resurrection ; and when from Olivet He as- 
cended to heaven, angels were in attendance to witness the 
scene, and to accompany Him to His glorious home. 



18 THE ANGELIC ANTHEM. 

It is evident, moreover, from the employment of holy 
angels, that the plan of human redemption has their approval 
and cooperation. "Are they not all ministering spirits, sent 
forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation ? " 
(Hebrew 1: 14.) And such is the desire of these holy beings 
for the salvation of men, that "there is joy in the presence of 
the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth." 



Agrippa' s Confession. 



" Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me 
to be a Christian:' (Ads 26 : 28.) 

Never was Christianity defended under circumstances more 
unfavorable, than when Paul pleaded its cause before king 
Agrippa. The apostle had been long under legal arrest, and 
loaded with chains as a degraded malefactor. The pre- 
judices of the people had been greatly excited against him, 
as being a man not fit to live. He had been summoned to 
appear before magistrates and governors, to answer for him- 
self in regard to the crimes alleged against him, but without 
any favorable result. He had hoped to be released, but had 
hoped in vain. Under these circumstances he appeared 
before king Agrippa ; not for a legal investigation of his 
case, but for the gratification of the king, in listening to the 
defense of so notable a prisoner. 

What an august assembly was that to which our attention 
is here directed ! There was Festus, the Eoman governor, 
on his judgment seat. There were king Agrippa and his 
sister Bernice, in all the grandeur of royalty. And there, 
too, were all the chief captains and principal men of the city 
of Cesarea. But in the midst, at the command of Festus, 
there was brought forward a man of no imposing appearance, 

19 



20 

bound with chains by the hand of civil authority — it was 
Paul, the apostle of Jesus Christ. Agrippa said to him, 
"Paul, thou art permitted to speak for thyself;" and it was 
while this man of God pleaded the cause of his Lord and 
Master, that Agrippa exclaimed, " Almost thou persuadest 
me to be a Christian." 

We now propose to show : First, What is implied in 
being a Christian. Second, That Christianity presents 
strong motives to its embracement. And Third, That many 
are almost persuaded to be Christians, who never become 
such in reality. 

I. What is implied in being a Christian. Dr. 
Johnson defines a Christian to be a " A professor of the re- 
ligion of Christ." This definition may be applied to all who 
believe in the Christian religion, to distinguish them from 
Jews, Mohammedans and Pagans ; but as men may profess 
to believe in the Christian religion, who are destitute of the 
Christian character, the definition is defective. A Christian 
is more than a mere 'professor of the religion of Christ ; he is, 
in the language of Dr. Webster, " one whose inward and out- 
ward life is conformed to the doctrines of Christ." To be a 
Christian, therefore, in the proper sense of the term, is, 

1. To receive Christ as a Divinely authorized Teacher. 
In this character He was spoken of by Moses, more than 
fourteen centuries before His advent. The prediction, as 
quoted by Peter, is this : " A Prophet shall the Lord your 
God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me ; Him 



agrippa\s confession. 21 

shall ye hear in all things whatsoever He shall say unto you. 
And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not 
hear that Prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people. " 
(Acts 3 : 22, 23.) Isaiah, personating the Prophet who was 
spoken of by Moses, expresses himself thus : " The Spirit 
of the Lord God is upon me ; because the Lord hath anoint- 
ed me to preach good tidings unto the meek ; He hath sent 
me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the 
captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are 
bound." (Isa. 61 : 1.) That our Lord claimed this passage 
as referring to Himself, is evident from His own language, 
as recorded by St. Luke ; for after He had read it in the 
Synagogue at Nazareth, as the morning lesson for the Sab- 
bath, He began to address the people by saying, " This day 
is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears." (Luke 4 : 21.) 

To receive Christ as the great Prophet of the Gospel dis- 
pensation, we must not only acknowledge the Divine authority 
of his mission ; but we must also make His word the 
standard of our faith, our experience, and our moral and re- 
ligious conduct. Our minds must become deeply imbued 
with the sentiment expressed by Nicodemus, when He said 
to our Lord, " We know that thou art a Teacher come from 
God ; for no man can do these miracles that Thou doest, ex- 
cept God be with him." (John 3 : 2.) To be a Christian is, 

2. To realize the moral changes which the Gospel of Clwist 
requires. These changes are repentance, regeneration, and 
pardon ; which we will briefly consider, in the order in which 
we have named them. 



22 

(1.) Repentance. This, in its simplest aspect, implies a 
consciousness of having done wrong, with an earnest wish 
that the wrong had not been committed. But what is com- 
monly called evangelical repentance consists in a conviction 
of sin, a perception of its hateful and destructive character, 
a sorrowful confession of it, and the forsaking of it in all its 
forms. It is called "repentance toward God," because it 
carries with it a voluntary confession of the sins which we 
have committed against Him, and a humble hope, that He, 
in His infinite goodness, will pardon our transgressions. 
It is also called "-repentance unto life ; " as it is necessary 
in order to spiritual life here, and to eternal life hereafter. 

(2.) Regeneration. This is that work of the Holy Spirit 
in man, by which he is saved from the love, the practice and 
the dominion of sin ; and enabled to love God, and to obey 
His commandments. The necessity of this moral change 
cannot be called in question. Jesus said, in His conversation 
with Nicodemus, " Except a man be born again, he cannot 
see the kingdom of God." (John 3 : 3.) " Marvel not that I 
said unto thee, Ye must be born again." (John 3 : 7.) 
St. John testifies, that this regenerating work of the Spirit is 
realized by all who receive Christ by faith. " As many as 
received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of 
God, even to them that believe on His name : which were 
born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the 
will of man, but of God." (John 1:12, 13.) 



23 

As to the nature of regeneration, we may receive additional 
light, from the figurative language in which it is spoken 
of by the sacred writers. With them it is a new creation. 
" If any man be in Christ he is a new creature ; " or, there is 
a new creation. (II. Cor. 5:17.) "We are His workmanship, 
created in Christ Jesus unto good works." (Eph. 2 : 10.) 
It is a restoration of the lost image of God. "And have put 
on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge, after the 
image of Him that created him." (Col. 3 : 10.) It is Christ 
within us. " I live ; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me." 
(Gal. 2 : 20.) " To whom God would make known what is 
the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles ; 
which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." (Col. 1 : 27.) 
Finally, it is freedom from the dominion of sin. " Sin shall 
not have dominion over you j for ye are not under the law, 
but under grace." (Eom. 6 : 14.) " Whosoever is born of 
God doth not commit sin." (I. John 3 : 9.) 

(3.) Pardon. To pardon sins, to forgive sins, and to remit 
sins are phrases which signify precisely the same thing ; 
namely, that gracious act of God, by which a penitent sinner 
is absolved from the condemning sentence of the law, and 
treated as if he had not sinned. To pardon, in this sense, is 
the same as to justify ; hence, every pardoned sinner is "justi- 
fied freely, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." 

Pardon is promised to every true penitent. " Return unto 
me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts." 
(Mai. 3:7.) " For whosoever shall call upon the name of the 



24 agrippa's confession. 

Lord shall be saved." (Rom. 10 : 13.) But as the pardon- 
ing act of God does not necessarily convey to the mind of the 
penitent sinner an evidence of his pardon, he is taught to 
look for this, in the gift of the Holy Spirit. To those who 
inquired, on the day of Pentecost, " Men and brethren, what 
shall we do ? " Peter replied, " Repent, and be baptized 
every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remis- 
sion of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." 
(Acts 2 : 38.) To be a Christian is, 

3. To conform to the institutions of Christ. These are 
baptism, church fellowship, and the sacrament of the Lord's 
Supper. We notice, 

(1.) Baptism. Perhaps no subject within the range of 
Christian theology has given rise to more controversy, than 
that of water baptism. It is not our purpose to notice all 
the wild notions which men have entertained upon this 
subject ; nor shall we attempt to give an extended doctrinal 
view of the sacrament. We only intend to call attention to 
two extremes respecting it, into which many have fallen. 
One is, that without water baptism there can be no remission 
of sins ; and, consequently, no salvation. 

But of this doctrine we have a sufficient refutation in the 
revealed character of God, and in Scripture facts. Revela- 
tion asserts that " The Lord is good to all ; and His tender 
mercies are over all His works." (Psa, 145 : 9.) And 
moreover, that " God is no respecter of persons ; but in 
every nation he that feareth Him, and worketh righteous- 



agrippa's confession. 25 

ness is accepted with Him." (Acts 10 : 34, 35.) Who 
then can believe that God would refuse to pardon and save a 
penitent sinner, simply because his baptism may be imprac- 
ticable? Condemnation is not incurred by the absence of 
baptism, but by the neglect or rejection of it. 

The doctrine which we oppose is disproved also by Scrip- 
ture facts. Jesus said to the penitent malefactor who was 
crucified by His side, " Verily I say unto thee, To-day thou 
shalt be with me in Paradise." (Luke 23 : 43.) In this 
case, a sinner is saved without being baptized ; but as no 
sinner can be saved without realizing pardon, the conclusion 
is inevitable, that pardon may be obtained without the ordi- 
nance of baptism. That men may receive the remission of 
sins independent of baptism is evident, moreover, from the 
history of Peter's mission to the house of Cornelius. When 
Peter arrived he not only met Cornelius, who had been 
anxiously waiting for him, but " found many that were come 
together," doubtless in expectation of his coming. To them 
he delivered his Gospel message ; and while he was yet 
speaking, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the 
words." (Acts 10 : 44.) !S T ow, as the Holy Ghost fell on 
the people while Peter was speaking ; and as they were not 
baptized until after he had closed his sermon ; it necessarily 
follows, either that the Holy Ghost fell on them while they 
were yet unpardoned sinners, or that they were pardoned 
before baptism, and independent of it. But as the former is 
too absurd to be believed, the latter must be admitted. 



26 agrippa's confession. 

The other extreme is, that baptism is of no great import- 
ance, and may therefore be received or rejected, as men may 
think proper. There are two facts, however, which prove 
that this view of the subject is untenable. One is, that 
Jesus Christ, in announcing the laws of His kingdom, has 
included the sacrament of baptism. Thus in the general 
commission which He gave His apostles, He said, " Go ye 
therefore, and teach (disciple) all nations, baptizing them in 
the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy 
Ghost." (Matt. 28 : 19.) Here we see, that the authority 
for administering the ordinance of water baptism to suitable 
subjects is the same as for proclaiming the Gospel of salva- 
tion to all nations : — the will of Christ, the Head of the 
Church. 

The second fact is, that apostolic practice was in exact 
agreement with the teachings of the Master. To those who 
inquired, on the day of Pentecost, " What shall we do ? " 
Peter said, " Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the 
name of Jesus Christ." (Acts 2 : 38.) In like manner, 
after Cornelius and those assembled at his house had received 
the gift of the Holy Spirit, Peter " commanded them to be 
baptized in the name of the Lord." (Acts 10 : 48.) Thus 
it may be seen, from the history of the apostles and evangel- 
ists, that it Avas their custom to baptize those who believed 
on Christ, through their instrumentality. Bnt if our Lord 
required baptism in the commission which He gave His 



27 

apostles, as we have seen ; and if they administered the ordi- 
nance in agreement with His requisition, as is evident ; then 
is it binding upon all who believe in Christ. 

(2.) Church fellowship. A Church is an organized body of 
believers in Jesus Christ, united together for the worship and 
service of God ; and among whom the Gospel is preached, 
'' and the sacraments duly administered." Such a Church 
Christ has established in the world, to which He adds daily 
such as are saved ; and of which it is the duty of all to become 
members. 

(3.) The Lord's Supper. This sacrament was instituted to 
commemorate the sacrificial death of the world's Redeemer. 
He said to his disciples, " As often as ye eat of this bread, 
and drink of this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he 
come." (I. Cor. 11 : 26.) The observance of this rite is 
both a Christian duty, and a Christian privilege. It is a 
Christian duty, because it is expressly commanded. When 
Jesus had broken the bread He gave it his disciples, saying, 
" Take, eat ; — this do in remembrance of me.' 7 (I. Cor. 11 : 
24.) In like manner, when He gave them the cup He said, 
" Drink ye all of it." (Matt. 26 : 27.) But the friends of 
Jesus should regard it as an unspeakable privilege to gather 
around the table of their common Lord. Here they see the 
emblems of His broken body and shed blood, which call up 
the mournful tragedy of His death. Here they are "forcibly 
reminded of His infinite benevolence, in giving Himself 
up to death, " even the death of the cross," that they might 



28 agrippa's confession. 

obtain eternal life. Here they realize the communion of 
saints, hold fellowship with the Father and the Son, make 
their humble confessions to Almighty God, and renew their 
vows to Him of obedience and love. To be a Christian is, 

4. To obey the laws of Christ's kingdom. A man cannot 
be regarded as a good citizen, under any form of civil govern- 
ment, who does not obey its laws and regulations. Even so, 
he cannot be a Christian, in the true import of that term, 
who does not make the laws of the kingdom of Christ the 
rule of his moral conduct. Our Lord says, " Whosoever 
heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken 
him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock/' 
(Matt. 7 : 24.) And again, " Ye are my friends, if ye do 
whatsoever I command you." (John 15: 14.) St. James 
says, " Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiv- 
ing your own selves." (James 1 : 22.) St. John reiterates 
the same lesson when he says, " Blessed are they that do His 
commandments, that they may have a right to the tree of 
life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." 
(Rev. 22 : 14.) 

II. Christianity presents strong motives to its 
reception. It may be affirmed of the Gospel plan of 
human recovery, that it is an appeal to man's moral agency. 
In this agency are included intelligence, sensibility, con- 
science, and volition. No man can be made a Christian by 
coercion ; nor is the work of conversion passively received. 
The human will may be led ; but it cannot be forcibly con- 



agrippa's confession. 29 

troled by any thing extrinsic to itself. Moral suasion is 
therefore the legitimate means to be employed, in Christian- 
izing the world. Among the motives by which the claims of 
Christianity are enforced, we will notice, 

1. Its Divine inspiration. When God speaks, His intel- 
ligent and dependent creatures should hear and obey, and 
that He has spoken to us in the book we call the Bible cannot 
be denied by any fair minded man. St. Paul says, " All 
Scripture is given by inspiration of God." (I. Tim. 3: 16.) 
Again, " God, who at sundry times and in divers manners 
spake in time past onto the Fathers by the prophets, hath in 
these last days spoken unto us by His Son." (Heb. 1:1,2.) 
If we admit that Christianity is of Divine authority, we must 
also admit that we are under the most solemn obligation to 
embrace it ; for surely no one who believes in the existence of 
God will dare to say, that we are under no obligation to obey 
His commandments. 

If a person occupying an eminent position in his social, 
civil, and ecclesiastical relations should come to me as the 
bearer of an important message, and I should regard his com- 
munication with indifference, and treat him with marked 
disrespect, would I not be chargeable with conduct beneath 
the dignity of a Christian, a gentleman, or even a civilized 
pagan ? And yet, this would be a venial crime, compared 
with the rejection of the Gospel of Christ. " For if they 
escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, (Moses) 
much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from Him 
that speaketh from heaven." (Heb. 12 . 25.) 



30 agrippa's confession. 

2. The superiority of its morality, or ethical theory. A 
man's moral conduct depends upon his moral principles, just 
as an effect depends upon its cause : his principles are the 
fountain ; his moral actions the stream. It is not to be ex- 
pected, therefore, that any man's moral conduct will be better 
than his ethical theory. He cannot be truly virtuous, unless 
he possesses virtuous principles. " Every tree is known by 
its own fruit ; for of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a 
bramble bush gather they grapes." (Luke 6 : 44.) 

The world never was without some theory of morals ; nor 
can it ever be, while conscience, remains a constituent of hu- 
manity ; but alas, how sadly defective have been all the 
theories of heathen moralists ! We do not think it necessary 
to enter upon a formal proof of the superiority of Christian 
morals, as compared with the morals of paganism ; for even 
infidelity itself, our bitterest foe, has been constrained to 
admit, that the morality of the Christian religion, in its purity 
and grandeur, far excels what mere human philosophy has 
ever taught. 

The difference between heathen ethics and Christian ethics 
may be readily perceived, and easily accounted for, if we 
bear in mind that the former has been deduced from the na- 
ture and relations of man, while the latter is founded upon 
the moral attributes of God. These attributes are truth, 
justice, holiness, and goodness ; of which the moral code of the 
Scriptures is an inspired transcript. Wherefore, as St. Paul 
asserts, " the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and 



agkippa's confession. 31 

just, and good." (Romans 7:12.) And as God is immuta- 
ble in all His perfections, so His moral laws must ever 
remain the same — unchanged, and unchangeable. 

Not only has God revealed to us a code of moral principles 
in harmony with His own nature ; but these principles have 
been exemplified and rendered most impressive, by the per- 
fect example and moral instruction of the world's Redeemer. 
This greatest Teacher of all teachers has shed more moral 
light upon our fallen world, in one single discourse — His 
Sermon on the Mount — than can be derived from the philoso- 
phy of all heathendom. In one short sentence He has given 
us a rule of moral action, the observance of which would 
prevent ninety-nine hundredths of existing moral evil, unite 
mankind in a universal brotherhood, and convert our sin- 
cursed globe into a Paradisian home : " Whatsoever ye would 
that men should do to you, do ye even so to them ; for this 
is the law and the prophets." (Matt. 7:12.) 

3. The personal happiness which it creates. That " man's 
chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever, is a 
sentiment which commends itself to every rational mind. 
But an unregenerate man can neither glorify God, nor enjoy 
Him, until he is made a subject of regenerating grace; or, in 
other words, until he becomes a Christian. It is only then 
that, for the first time, a new song is put in his mouth, " even 
praise to our God." It is only then that he realizes what 
Isaiah so feelingly expressed, when he said, " O Lord, I will 
praise Thee : though Thou wast angry with me, Thine anger 



32 

is turned away, and Thou comfortedst me. Behold, God is- 
niy salvation ; I will trust, and not be afraid ; for the Lord 
Jehovah is my strength and my song," (Isa. 12 : 1, 2.) 

To be a Christian is to be reconciled to God. " Being 
justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord 
Jesus Christ." (Rom. 5:1.) To be a Christian is to have 
an approving conscience. " Our rejoicing is this, the testi- 
mony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity 
we have had our conversation in the world." (II. Cor. 1 : 
12,) To be a Christian is to realize permanent peace and 
blessedness, amidst the trials of life. Jesus said to His dis- 
ciples, " Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you : 
not as the world giveth, give I unto you." (John 14 : 27.) 
At another time He said to them, " I will see you again, and 
your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from 
you." (John 16:22.) To be a Christian is to gain the 
true and only re§t of the soul. " Come unto me, all ye that 
labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take 
my yoke upon you, and learn of me ; — and ye shall find rest 
unto your souls." (Matt, 11 : 28, 29.) Finally, to be a 
Christian is to become a dwelling place for God. Jesus said, 
" If any man love me, he will keep my words ; and my 
Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make 
our abode with him." (John 14 : 23.) 

4. The hope which it inspires. Hope consists in the desire 
and expectation of future good. The hope of the Christian 
has for its object the gift of " eternal life through Jesus Christ 



33 

our Lord ; " and is founded upon the character of God, and 
the "great and precious promises" of the Gospel. And 
while it is an essential element in Christian character, it is 
also a fruitful source of religious enjoyment. We " rejoice/' 
says the apostle, " in hope of the glory of God." (Rom. 
5^ 2.) 

" The living know that they shall die ; " but, to human 
reason, every thing beyond this solemn event is shrouded in 
impenetrable darkness. We are therefore indebted to Divine 
revelation for all we know, and for all which is knowable, 
in regard to things beyond the grave. It is not to be sup- 
posed that the revelation which God has given to the world 
discloses all the thrilling events and circumstances which shall 
be connected with the future life of the righteous ; but enough 
is revealed, to present the heavenly home to our considera- 
tion in a supremely interesting and attractive light, and in 
connection with some of the grandest conceptions which have 
ever gained a lodgment in the human mind. 

Christianity teaches her votaries to believe, that after death 
their spirits shall rest with God ; that to be thus " with the 
Lord " is a far better condition, than any which is realizable 
on earth ; that in due time Christ shall descend from heaven, 
to raise the dead, to change the living, to call before Him 
" all that ever breathed the vital air," and to fix their eternal 
destiny ; and that He will then say to His own, "Come, ye 
blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you 
from the foundation of the world." (Matt, 25 : 34.) 



34 

The apocalyptic description of the future and eternal home 
of the blessed — " that great city, the holy Jerusalem," is both 
beautiful and sublime. It is a city, we are informed, of pure 
gold. " The length and the breadth and the height of it are 
equal ; " each measuring twelve thousand furlongs, or fifteen 
hundred miles. This immense city is inclosed by a jasper 
wall two hundred and sixteen feet high, having twelve gates 
of pearl, which are guarded by twelve angels, and on which 
are written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. The 
wall of the city has twelve foundations, composed of twelve 
different kinds of precious stones ; and in these foundations are 
the names of the twelve apostles of our Lord. These represen- 
tations, we know, are figurative ; but we must bear in mind 
that the figures are employed by Divine direction. It follows, 
therefore, that what is signified by them cannot fall below 
their literal import. 

But in connection with the hope of a future home of beauty 
and grandeur, we look also for a state of perfect and endless 
felicity. There are several revealed facts which cannot fail 
to be lar^elv contributive to this state of future blessedness. 
1. The inhabitants of heaven shall all be possessed of moral 
purity : " There shall in no wise enter into it anything that 
defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh 
a lie." 2. They shall be forever exempt from all physical 
evil : " They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more ;" 
and " God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes ; and 
there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, 



agrippa's confession. 35 

neither shall there be any more pain." 3. They shall enjoy 
perpetual and unclouded light : " The city has no need of 
the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it ; for the glory of 
God doth lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof:" and 
" there shall be no night there." 4. And they shall dwell 
in the immediate presence of God : " Behold, the tabernacle 
of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they 
shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, 
and be their God?" 

"O'er all those wide-extended plains 

Shines one eternal day ; 
There God the Son forever reigns, 

And scatters night away. 
No chilling winds, nor poisonous breath, 

Can reach that healthful shore ; 
Sickness and sorrow, pain and death, 

Are felt and feared no more." 

Having presented a few of the motives which should influ- 
ence all men to become Christians, we will now call attention 
to the lamentable fact, 

III. That many are almost persuaded to be 

CHRISTIANS, WHO NEVER BECOME SUCH IN REALITY. The 

truthfulness of this proposition is established both by sacred 
history, and by our own observation. 

1 . By sacred history. It is not necessary, in proving our 
position, that we should go into an extended argument. The 
adduction of a few historical facts will be all-sufficient, and 
is all that we intend. We begin with the case of king 



36 

Agrippa, concerning whom it may be remarked, that he was 
himself a Jew, and, consequently, a believer in revealed reli- 
gion, and in the promise of a Redeemer ; that he was familiar 
with the history of his people, and had a personal knowledge 
of the things alluded to in St. Paul's defense ; and that he 
was therefore well qualified to appreciate the apostle's argu- 
ment. And when we bear in mind that the king was con- 
fronted by a mixed multitude, many of whom he knew to be 
bitterly opposed to Christianity ; and that he was in the pres- 
ence of Festus, the Roman governor, who had shown his 
contempt for Paul's argument, by charging him with insan- 
ity ; we are forced to the conclusion, that, under these circum- 
stances, he could not have employed the language which he 
did, if it had not been the honest expression of his heart-felt 
experience, almost 'persuaded to be a Christian. But did he 
ever become a Christian ? It is almost certain that he did not ; 
for though he lived some thirty years after this occurrence, 
we hear nothing more of his Christianity. History leaves 
him in the condition in which it found him — without Christ 
in the world, and with the cloud of incest resting upon his 
character. 

Our second example is the case of a certain ruler, who 
came to our Lord, saying, " Good Master, what shall I do to 
inherit eternal life ?" The object of this man's pursuit was of 
infinite value, — " eternal life." The manner of his inquiry 
was marked by earnestness and humility, — he came "run- 
ning, and kneeled to Him." He possessed an excellent moral 



agrippa's confession. 37 

character, for when his attention was called to the duties en- 
joined in the Decalogue, he replied, "All these have I 
observed from my youth ;" and so amiable was he, that Jesus 
loved him. If the narrative had closed here, every one would 
be ready to say, surely this man was not only almost, but 
altogether persuaded to be a disciple of Christ. But, alas ! 
how soon was the scene changed, when Jesus told him, that 
if he would enter into life, he must sell all that he had, dis- 
tribute to the poor, and follow him. On hearing this, he 
" went away grieved ; for he had great possessions." (Mark 
10 : 22.) " If any man love the world, the love of the Father 
is not in him." 

St. John records two cases, which shed additional light 
upon this question. The first is, that while our Lord was 
teaching the people, He made certain statements which gave 
offense to some of His hearers ; and " from that time many 
of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him." 
(John 6 :66.) They had been His disciples, but were His 
disciples no more. The second case is, that " among the chief 
rulers many believed on Christ ; but because of the Pharisees 
they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the 
synagogue." (John 12:42.) But though these Jewish 
rulers believed on Christ, they were not really Christians ; 
for Christianity requires that men shall confess Christ, as well 
as believe on Him. We see, therefore, that, in many instances, 
men's religious convictions and emotions pass away a as a 



38 

morning cloud, and as the early dew ;" and that the seed 
which falls on stony ground, or among thorns, though it may 
spring up and grow for a time, fails to yield a harvest. 

2. This doctrine is confirmed by our oion observation. We 
are living in a land of Bibles, where at least ninety-nine hun- 
dredths of the people profess to believe in revealed religion, 
where the Gospel may be heard every Sabbath day, and where 
the ordinances of the Church of Christ are duly administered ; 
and yet, those who become fully persuaded to be Christians 
are comparatively few, while multitudes are halting between 
two opinions, knowing it to be their duty to give themselves 
to God and his Church, but hesitating to make the sacrifice. 
The causes of this hesitancy may be numererous ; nor does 
Satan care what the prevailing cause is, provided it enables 
him to " hold the fort." It may be the fear of man, the 
dread of persecution, or the hope of a more convenient time ; 
or it may be the love of sin, of pleasure, of money, or of 
honor and official position. Thousands of those who believe 
in Christianity know that they are unconverted sinners ; and 
that, if they die as they are, they must die forever. And 
they know, too, that their day of probation is rapidly passing 
away, and may be closed at any moment ; and yet they re- 
main only almost persuaded, until the storm of Divine ven- 
geance overtakes them, and they are driven away in their 
sins. 



agrippa's confession. 39 

Reader, let rue beseech you by all that is pure and holy ; 
by your own happiness in time and eternity ; by the welfare 
of all who are related to you in life ; and by the good of 
society at large ; be fully persuaded to be a Christian, and 
let this decision be made without delay. " Behold, now is 
the accepted time ; behold, now is the day of salvation. 



The Saviour Found. 



" We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law, and the 
Prophets did write ; Jesus of Nazareth, the son of 
Joseph" (John 1 : 45.) 

At an early period in the history of our world God made 
promise of a Deliverer, who should, in due time, redeem our 
fallen race, from the condemnation and dominion of sin. 
This gracious promise, as ages rolled on, was reiterated and 
enlarged by the prophets, until a wide spread expectation 
was created in the public mind, of a speedy manifestation of 
Him who was to be the Redeemer of mankind. When 
Jesus of Nazareth, the reputed son of Joseph, commenced 
His public ministry in the land of Judea, claiming to be this 
promised Deliverer, it became the great question of the day, 
"Is not this the Christ?" 

The larger body of the Jews, influenced by prejudice and 
worldly policy, rejected His claims entirely, regarding Him 
as a vile deceiver : " He came to His own, and His own 
received Him not." Some of the Jews, however, were of a 
better mind, being inclined to compare His character and 
claims with the predictions of their own prophets ; and those 

40 



THE SAVIOUR FOUND. 41 

who acted on this principle were soon convinced that He was, 
indeed, the promised Messiah, whom the prophets had so 
clearly pointed out and described. 

Among the first to become His disciples were Andrew, 
Peter and Philip ; all of the city of Bethsaida. As soon as 
they believed Him to be the Messiah, they began to preach 
Him to others ; Philip, meeting Nathaniel, a man of Galilee, 
said to him, " We have found Him of whom Moses in the 
law, and the prophets did write ; Jesus of Nazareth, the son 
of Joseph." 

The text invites our attention : First, To the theoretic proof 
that Jesus of Nazareth is the promised Messiah, and Saviour 
of the world ; and, Second, To the experience involved in 
finding Him as our personal Saviour. 

I. The theoretic proof that Jesus of Nazareth 

IS THE PROMISED MESSIAH, AND SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD. 

This proof is found in the exact agreement of the historic 
facts respecting Jesus of Nazareth, with the predictions of the 
Old Testament Scriptures, in relation to the Redeemer of the 
world. " We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, 
and the prophets did write." These predictions relate, 

1. To the Messiah's personality. This was to consist in a 
union of two distinct natures ; the human and the Divine. 
The former only is spoken of in the first promise of a Deliv- 
erer. God said to the tempter, " I will put enmity between 
thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed. It 
shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." (Gen. 



42 THE SAVIOUR FOUND. 

3:15.) But both natures are brought into view by the 
prophet Isaiah. " Behold ! " said he, " a virgin shall con- 
ceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Iruruanuel." 
(Isaiah 7 : 14.) Again, " Unto us a child is born, unto us a 
son is given ; and the government shall be upon his shoulder ; 
and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the 
mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. 
(Isaiah 9 : 6.) 

These predictions were literally fulfilled in the person of 
Jesus Christ. He was born of the virgin Mary, grew up to 
maturity like other human beings, appeared and acted like a 
man among men, and called Himself " the son of man." 
But he claimed supreme Divinity also. Hence He declared 
that the Father had committed to Him all judgment ; " that 
all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father." 
(John 6 : 23.) Again, He declared, " I and my Father are 
one." (John 10 : 30.) St, Paul says, "God sent forth His 
Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them 
that were under the law." (Gal. 4 : 5.) These predictions 
relate, 

2. To the official character of the Messiah. He was to be 
an authoritative Teacher, an officiating Priest, and a conquer- 
ing King. 

(1.) An Authoritative Teacher. Moses said, " The Lord 
thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of 
thee, of thy brethren, like unto me ; unto Him shall ye 
hearken." (Deut. 18 : 15.) Isaiah, personating this great 



THE SAVIOUR FOtTXD. 43 

Prophet, uses the following language : " The. Spirit of the 
Lord God is upon me ; because the Lord hath anointed rue 
to preach good tidings unto the meek ; He hath sent me to 
bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the cap- 
tives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound ; 
to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord/' (Isa. 61 : 1, 2.) 

That these Scriptures have their fulfillment in Jesus Christ, 
is evident from inspired authority. Peter so applies the pre- 
diction of Moses ; and so it was understood by those Jews 
who exclaimed, " This is of a truth that Prophet that should 
•come into the world." (John 6 : 14.) In like manner, 
Christ applies to Himself the passage from Isaiah, saying, 
41 This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears." (Luke 
4 : 21.) Nicodemus expressed, no doubt, the honest convic- 
tion of many of the Jews, when he said, "."We know that 
Thou art a Teacher come from God ; for no man can do these 
miracles that Thou doest, except God be with him." (John 
3 : 2.) 

(2.) An Officiating Priest. The Psalmist, in speaking of 
the coming Messiah, calls Him a Priest ; saying, " The Lord 
hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a Priest for ever, 
after the order of Melchizedek." (Psa. 110:4.) It is 
generally admitted, both by Jewish Pal bins and Christian 
commentators, that this psalm is a Messianic prediction. 
Viewed in this light it announces the fact, not only that our 
Lord should sustain the office of Priest ; but also, that His 
priesthood should resemble that of Melchizedek. Of this re- 



44 THE SAVIOUR FOUND. 

semblance, and of the difference between the Aaronic priest- 
hood and the priesthood of Christ, we have an inspired 
exposition, in the seventh chapter of Hebrews. 

The peculiar functions of those who hold the sacerdotal 
office are, to offer sacrifices for the sins of the people, to sym- 
pathize with them, and to make intercession for them. 
Isaiah says of the world's Redeemer, " He was wounded for 
our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the 
chastisement of our peace was upon Him ; and with His 
stripes we are healed." Again, " He bore the sins of many, 
and made intercession for the transgressors." (Isa. 53 : 5, 
12.) In accordance with these predictions Jesus of Nazareth 
offered up Himself as a sacrifice for the sins of the world,, 
thus bearing " our sins in His own body on the tree ; " and 
St. Paul assures us that " He is able to save them to the ut- 
termost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth 
to make intercession for them." 

(3.) A conquering King. In the second psalm we have a 
sublime and impressive representation of the regal character 
of the promised Deliverer. " Yet have I set my King upon 
my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree : the Lord 
hath said unto me, Thou art my Son ; this day have I be- 
gotten Thee. Ask of me, and I shall give Thee the heathen 
for Thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth 
for Thy possession." Jeremiah predicted the kingship of the 
Messiah, when he said, " Behold, the days come, said the 
Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a 



THE SAVIOUR FOUND. 45 

King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment 
and justice in the earth/' (Jer. 23 : 5.) It was of the king- 
dom of Christ Daniel spoke, when he said, " In the days of 
these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which 
shall never be destroyed." (Dan. 2 : 44.) 

That our Lord claimed to have a kingdom, and, conse- 
quently, to be a King, is beyond dispute. He said to Pilate, 
when examined before him, " My kingdom is not of this 
world : if my kingdom were of this world, then would my 
servants fight ; that I should not be delivered to the Jews ; 
but now is my kingdom not from hence." And when Pilate 
inquired, " Art thou a king then ? " His reply was, " Thou 
sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born ; and for 
this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness 
unto the truth." (John 18:36, 37.) Having shown that 
the predictions respecting the official character of the Messiah 
have been fulfilled in Jesus Christ, we will proceed to con- 
sider, 

3. Some notable circumstances in connection with His 
advent. Of these we notice, 

(1.) His genealogy. He was to be a descendant of Abra- 
ham. Hence God said to this honored patriarch, " In thy 
seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed." (Gen. 22 : 
18.) He was to be of the family of Jesse. " In that day 
there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign 
of the people ; to it shall the Gentiles seek ; and his rest shall 
be glorious." (Isa. 11 : 10.) He was to be the son of David. 



46 THE SAVIOUR FOUND. 

God said, " I will cause the Branch of righteousness to grow 
up unto David ; and He shall execute judgment and right- 
eousness in the land." (Jer. 33 : 15.) Now, inasmuch as 
David was the son of Jesse, and Jesse the offspring of Abra- 
ham, our Lord claims all these relationships when He declares 
" I am the root and the offspring of David." (Rev. 22 : 16.) 

(2.) The place of His nativity. The prediction respecting 
the place of Messiah's birth is this : " But thou, Bethlehem 
Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah,, 
yet out of thee shall He come forth unto me, that is to be Ruler 
in Israel, whose goings forth have been of old, from ever- 
lasting." (Micah 5 : 2.) This was definitely understood by 
the chief priests and scribes, at the time of our Lord's advent ; 
for when Herod "demanded of them where Christ should be 
born, they unhesitatingly replied, " In Bethlehem of Judea." 
(Matt. 2:4.) Accordingly, when the angel of the Lord an- 
nounced His birth to the shepherds of Bethlehem, he said, 
"Unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Savioui^ 
which is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2:11.) This city of 
David is Bethlehem, in the tribe of Judah, in which both 
David and Christ were born ; and thus the prediction of the 
prophet was literally fulfilled, in regard to the place of our 
Lord's nativity. 

(3.) The time of His advent. The patriarch Jacob, in pre- 
dictively telling his sons what should befall them in the last 
days, said, " the scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a 
lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come." (Gen. 



THE SAVIOUR FOUND. 47 

49 : 10.) The scepter, it is well known, is a badge of author- 
ity ; and Biblicists generally admit, that the term Shiloh 
designates the promised Deliverer. The learned tell us that 
it is derived from Shalah, which means prosperity, peace, rest ; 
and that the language of Jacob may be justly rendered thus : 
" The power of government shall not depart from Judah, nor 
a Judge from among his descendants, till the prosperous 
Saviour come." The exact fulfillment of this prophecy is 
seen in the fact, that the tribe of Judah, and that tribe alone 
preserved its identity, and a degree of self government, till 
the coining of Christ. 

The prophet Daniel marks, with wonderful precision, the 
time of our Lord's sojourn on earth. He says, "Know, 
therefore, that from the going forth of the commandment to 
restore and to build Jerusalem, unto the Messiah the Prince, 
shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks." 
(Dan. 9 : 25.) These Aveeks represent four hundred and 
eighty-three years ; each week consisting of seven years. 
The order "to restore and to build Jerusalem," referred to by 
the prophet, was issued by Artaxerxes, four hundred and fifty- 
seven years before the Christian era ; and if to these years we 
add twenty-six, the date at which our Lord commenced his 
public ministry, the result will be four hundred and eighty- 
three, corresponding to Daniel's sixty-nine weeks. 

(4.) The benevolent end of His coming. This is clearly pre- 
sented in the Scriptures. " Say to them that are of a fearful 
heart, be strong, fear not ; behold, your God will come with 



48 THE SAVIOUR FOUND. 

vengeance, even God with a recompense; He will come and 
save you." (Isa. 35 : 4.) Again, " Rejoice greatly, O 
daughter of Zion ; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem ; behold, 
thy King cometh unto thee ; He is just and having salva- 
tion." (Zech. 9 : 9.) When the angel of the Lord appeared 
unto Joseph, directing him in regard to the line of his duty 
toward Mary, his espoused wife, he said, " She shall bring 
forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus : for He shall 
save His people from their sins. 7 ' (Matt. 1 :21.) Accord- 
ingly, when Simeon took the infant Redeemer into his arms 
he exclaimed, " mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which 
Thou hast prepared before the face of all people ; a 
light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people 
Israel." (Luke 2 : 30-32.) "Neither is there salvation in 
any other ; for there is none other name under heaven given 
among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12.) 

Whoever will consider and candidly weigh these Messianic 
predictions, together with their exact fulfillment in Jesus of 
Nazareth, must come to the conclusion, that He, and He 
alone, is the promised Messiah, the Son of God, and the 
Saviour of the world. 

II. The experience involved in finding Christ 
as our personal Saviour. The theory of redemption is 
one thing ; the application of it in our personal salvation is 
quite another. In tracing the experience implied in this ap- 
plication, we will begin with the conclusion of the foregoing 
argument. We assert, therefore, that the realization of 
actual and personal salvation involves, 



THE SAVIOUR FOUND. 49 

1. A firm belief that Jesus of Nazareth is the promised 
3Iessiah and Saviour of the world. Jesus said to the Jews, 
"If ye believe not that I am He, (the true Messiah,) 
ye shall die in your sins." (John 8 : 24.) This was a 
fundamental article in the creed of the early disciples of our 
Lord. When He asked them, on a certain occasion, "who 
say ye that I am ? " Simon Peter answered and said, 
" Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." (Matt, 
16 : 16.) At another time, when some of His disciples had 
forsaken Him, He said to the twelve, " will ye also go 
away ? " Peter replied, " Lord, to whom shall we go ? 
Thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are 
sure that Thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God." 
(John 6 : 67-69.) In like manner Martha, while convers- 
ing with her Lord, reiterated the same confession, saying " I 
believe that Thou art the Christ, the Son of God, that 
should come into the world." (John 11:27.) When the 
eunuch expressed a desire to be baptized into the Christian 
faith Philip said to him, " If thou believest with all thine 
heart thou mayest." To this the eunuch replied, " I believe 
that Jesus Christ is the Son of God ; and on this declaration 
of his faith Philip baptized him." (Acts 8 : 37.) 

2. A consciousness of guilt and the need of a Redeemer. 
The process of recovery from a state of sinfulness and 
spiritual death carries with it some painful experiences, as 
well as some which are pleasant and joyous. The Scriptures 
clearly indicate, that we must become sensible of the dark- 



50 THE SAVIOUR FOUND. 

ness in which we are by nature, before we can appreciate the 
light of life ; that we must feel the weight of Satan's galling 
chain, before we can place a proper estimate upon the liberty 
of the Gospel ; that our moral disease must give us pain, 
before we will seek to be cured by the great Physician ; and, 
that in a word, we must drink the bitter cup of penitential 
sorrow, before we can " take the cup of salvation," or rejoice 
in a sense of pardon. JeRis said, " They that be whole need 
not a physician, but they that are sick — I came not to call 
the righteous, but sinners to repentance." (Matt. 9:12, 13.) 
St. Paul, in his notable sermon on Mars' hill, declared this 
unalterable decree of God, that He " now commancleth all 
men everywhere to repent." (Acts 17 : 30.) The great 
Teacher, on one occasion, delivered a very impressive lesson 
on the necessity of repentance. He was told by some, of 
certain Galileans " whose blood Pilate had mingled with 
their sacrifices ; " and He said to them, " Suppose ye that 
these Galileans were sinners above all Galileans, because 
they suffered such things ? I tell you Nay : but except ye 
repent, ye shall all likewise perish." (Luke 13 : 2, 3.) It 
follows, therefore, that the publican's prayer, " God be 
merciful to me a sinner," must be the prayer of every actual 
transgressor of the Divine law, before he can be justified in 
the sight of God. 

3. Reformation of life. This duty is made so imperative 
in the economy of redemption, that the actual transgressor, 
who fails to observe it, cannot hope to find the Saviour in 



THE SAVIOUR FOUND. 51 

his personal salvation. Christ did not come into the world 
to save men in their sins, but to save them "from their sins." 
"He that covereth his sins shall not prosper ; but whoso con- 
fesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy." (Prov. 28 : 13.) 
The Bible tells us, we know, "that a man is justified by 
faith without the deeds of the law ; " but it tells us too, and 
with equal clearness, that faith without corresponding obedi- 
ence is dead, and therefore cannot be justifying faith : " For 
as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works 
is dead also." (James 2 : 26.) 

The reformation which God requires of all sinners, as 
a prerequisite to pardon, is briefly this : " Put away the 
evil of your doings from before mine eyes ; cease to do evil ; 
learn to do well." (Isa. 1 : 16, 17.) The prophet assures 
us, that those who do thus reform and turn to the Lord shall 
be graciously received. He says: " let the wicked forsake 
his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts ; and let him 
return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him ; 
and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon." (Isa. 
55 : 7.) The harbinger of our Lord, while preaching "the 
baptism of repentance for the remission of sins," preached 
also the necessity of reformation of life ; for he required 
those who came to his baptism, " to bring forth fruits meet 
for repentance." (Matt. 3 : 8.) And the great Teacher, in 
proclaiming His own Gospel, said, " If any man will come 
alter me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and 
follow me." (Matt, 16 : 24.) The Psalmist, in one of his 



52 THE SAVIOUR FOUND. 

devotional exercises, gives us a beautiful and experimental 
description of genuine practical repentance. He says, " I 
entreated Thy favor with my whole heart : be merciful unto 
me according to Thy word. I thought on my ways, and 
turned my feet unto Thy testimonies. I made haste, and 
delayed not, to keep Thy commandments." (Psa. 119 : 58- 
60.) 

4. Trust in Christ as our only and allsufficient Saviour. 
St. Paul said to the Ephesians, " In whom (Christ) ye trusted, 
after that ye heard the word of truth, the Gospel of your 
salvation." (Eph. 1 : 13.) And in writing to Timothy he 
said, " We trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all 
men, specially of them that believe." (I. Tim. 4:12.) The 
trust of which we speak, though partaking of the nature .of 
faith, is rather an act of our moral agency, by which we sus- 
pend all our spiritual interests both for time and eternity, on 
the redeeming work of our Lord Jesus Christ. It may be 
regarded too, as the immediate condition of pardon, or the 
culminating exercise of justifying faith. " In His name 
shall the Gentiles trust." (Matt, 12 : 21.) 

But as that faith which leads to a personal salvation is 
progressive in its operations, it may be well to give a brief 
sketch of its usual development, Faith, in its simplest 
aspect, is an intellectual assent to Divine truth. In some 
cases this faith leads men to act in accordance with the truth 
believed ; but in others it does not. When it exerts no 
salutary influence, it is called a dead faith, and is of no value 



THE SAVIOUR FOUND. 53 

whatever ; but so far as it becomes practical, just so far it is 
saving in its tendency. It is by believing the truth that we 
discover our lost condition by nature, and our inability to 
escape impending ruin ; that we are led to hate the ways of 
vice and folly, to confess our transgressions to God, and to 
" break off our sins by righteousness ; " that we see, in the 
economy of redemption, our only and all sufficient means of 
recovery " from the curse of the law," and the consequences 
of the fall ; and that we are inclined to offer ourselves " a 
living sacrifice unto God." Thus the penitential and reform- 
atory experience of the honest seeker of salvation begins in 
believing Gospel truth ; and though his faith may at first be 
weak and fluctuating, he pursues his onward way, " from 
faith to faith," until he stands at the very threshold of the 
kingdom, anxiously waiting to be graciously received. 

Of those who arrive at this stage of religious experience, 
some readily " enter into rest," and are happily " sealed with 
that Holy Spirit of promise ; " while others realize, just at 
this point, their greatest embarrassment. They know that 
they sincerely desire to serve God, and that they believe the 
doctrines of the Gospel ; but they know, too, that they are 
destitute of a satisfactory evidence of the Divine approval — 
an object for which they pant with inexpressible desire. 
Their cry is, 

" O where shall rest be fouud, 
Rest for the weary soul?" 



54 THE SAVIOUR FOUND. 

Many sincere seekers of salvation are held in this condi- 
tion of painful uncertainty for months, or even for years,, 
groaning for a knowledge of pardon, and acceptance with 
God. But why is it so ? It. is not because God is unwilling 
to save them ; for He " will have all men to be saved, and 
to come unto the knowledge of the truth." (I. Tim. 2:4.) 
Nor is it because He is unwilling to comfort those who 
mourn ; for Jesus says, " Come unto me, all ye that labor, 
and are heavy laden and I will give you rest." (Matt. 
11 : 28.) Why then are they not comforted ? To this ques- 
tion no answer can be given which will apply to all cases ; 
but we venture the assertion that in most cases it is because 
they are vainly struggling to grasp the evidence of pardon, 
before they comply with its immediate condition. 

To have a satisfactory evidence of God's approval is 
a most desirable experience ; but however desirable it may 
be, no one can realize it without exercising that trust in 
Christ, which the economy of grace requires. To pardon a 
sinner is a gracious act on the part of God ; but it is never- 
theless conditional. If we comply with the condition, which 
is a scriptural trust in the redeeming work of Christ, our 
pardon becomes as certain as the promises of God are true. 
" He that believeth on Him (Christ) is not condemned ; " 
that is, he is pardoned or justified. Reason tells us that the 
condition of pardon and the evidence of pardon are distinct 
things ; and that in the order of time, the condition of pardon 
necessarily precedes pardon. It follows, therefore, that in 



THE SAVIOUR FOUND. 55 

seeking justifying grace, our effort should be to comply 
with the terms on which it is suspended, leaving it with God 
to reveal Himself to us in His own time and manner. 

When the jailor said to Paul and Silas, " Sirs, what must 
I do to be saved ? " they replied, " Believe on the Lord 
Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved ? " (Acts 13 : 30, 31.) 
They did not mean, as some would interpret their language, 
believe that thou art saved, " and thou shalt be saved ; " but 
"believe on the Lord Jesus Christ" — trust in His atoning 
sacrifice, and in His gracious promises, " and thou shalt be 
saved" To trust in God is a duty, to the performance of 
which we are often exhorted in the sacred Scriptures ; but if 
it is a duty, it is possible for us to do so ; for it cannot be 
our duty to do what we cannot do. The effort may involve 
a temporary and painful conflict between faith and unbelief ; 
but such a trust is so reasonable in itself, and the evidence on 
which it rests is so abundant and clear, that a rational and 
persevering trial to exercise it can hardly fail. This personal 
trust in God, as He has revealed Himself in the work of 
redemption, is the immediate condition of our justification. 
Beyond this we cannot go, until God, in His infinite good- 
ness, gives us an evidence that we are " accepted in the 
Beloved. " We can lay the sacrifice upon the altar, but God 
alone can send the fire by which it is accepted. 

In confirmation of these views, and as a suitable illustra- 
tion of the subject, we refer to the case of Abraham, " who is 
the father of us all ; " or, the pattern of all true believers. 



56 THE SAVIOUE FOUND. 

Of hini it is written, that " he believed in the Lord ; and He 
counted it to him for righteousness. 7 ' (Gen. 15 : 6.) The 
facts in the case are these : God promised to Abraham that 
Sarah should bear a son ; that he should be the father of 
many nations ; and that his offspring should become as 
numerous as the stars of heaven. The fulfillment of these 
promises was so unlikely, according to the laws of nature, 
that Sarah received the promise of a son with a laugh of 
unbelief. But so firm was Abraham's confidence in the 
Divine veracity, that " he staggered not at the promise of 
God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory 
to God ; being fully persuaded, that what He had promised, 
He was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed 
to him for righteousness." (Rom. 4 : 20-22.) Here we see, 
that Abraham's faith, as to its nature, was simply trust in 
God, that what He had graciously promised He would faith- 
fully perform ; and it both honored God and secured His 
approval. 

- Now the apostle informs us that this case was recorded, 
not for Abraham's sake alone, but for our benefit also. It 
teaches us the very important and encouraging lesson, that as 
the confidence which Abraham reposed in the promise of 
God " was imputed to him for righteousness," so we may 
hope to be justified " through the redemption that is in Jesus 
Christ," if we exercise a similar trust in the gracious promises 
of the Gospel. 



THE SAVIOTJB FOUND. 57 

At this point the question may be asked, can a man be in 
a justified state, without having any evidence of it? As this 
is a question in which all who desire to be saved must feel a 
deep interest, we will try to answer it in a conprehensible 
manner. In doing so, we begin with the well established fact, 
that, in the operations of saving grace, justification and 
regeneration, while differing in nature, are synchronical. 
Though God " justifies the ungodly," He justifies no one who 
-continues to be ungodly ; for those whom He justifies are 
also born of the Spirit. But regeneration involves certain 
moral changes, of which every subject of it must be conscious. 
He mast know that " old things are passed away," and that 
all things are become new ; " and from this experience he 
draws the conclusion, which is both rational and Scriptural, 
that he is a child of God, and therefore in a justified state. 
In this sense, " he that believeth on the Son of God hath the 
witness in himself." (I. John 5 : 10.) This is the principle 
on which the apostle argues, when he says, " We know that 
we have passed from death unto life, because we love the 
brethren." (I. John 3 : 14.) Thus a consciousness of 
brotherly love is made the proof of spiritual life. This may 
be called the inferential proof of a state of grace ; which con- 
sists in arguing our filial relation to God, from a conscious- 
ness of the indwelling fruits of the Spirit. And now, as no 
one can be born again without realizing to some exteni. these 
fruits of the Spirit, so, no one can be justified without 



58 THE SAVIOUR FOUND. 

having some evidence of the fact. He, therefore, who has 
no evidence that he is a child of God, has no right to believe 
that he is justified. 

But this inferential proof of our regenerate and justified 
state is not all the evidence which we desire, on this impor- 
tant question ; nor is it all that is obtainable. The Scrip- 
tures teach that the Holy Spirit is given to those who become 
the children of God, bearing direct testimony to their filial 
relation. St. Paul says, " The Spirit itself beareth witness 
with our Spirit, that we are the children of God." (Rom. 
8:16.) And again he says, " Because ye are sons, God hath 
sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, 
Abba, Father." (Gal. 4 : 6.) Accordingly, St. John writes, 
" Hereby we know that He abideth in us, by the Spirit which 
He hath given us." (I. John 3 : 24.) 

Thus we see there are two kinds of evidence which God 
bestows upon His children, by which their filial relation to 
Him is indicated. One comprehends the fruits of the Spirit, 
from which their sonship is inferred ; the other consists in 
the testimony of the Holy Spirit, by which their sonship is 
directly asserted. The first kind of evidence, though often 
productive of religious consolation and joyous hope, is not 
always preventive of dark seasons and painful doubtings ; 
but the second imparts an assurance, which triumphs over 
all unbelief aud tormenting fear. 

We have presented the theoretic proof that Jesus of Naz- 
areth, the son of Joseph, is the promised Messiah ; by show- 



THE SAVIOUR FOUND. o9 

ing that the recorded facts of His life and character are in 
perfect agreement with the teachings of the Old Testament. 
We have also dwelt upon that Christian experience which is 
involved in finding Christ in our personal salvation ; by 
showing that it includes a firm belief in His Messiahship, a 
consciousness of guilt and danger, reformation of life, and 
trust in Him as our only and all sufficient Saviour. And 
now we ask, " What think ye of Jesus ? " Is He not just 
such a Saviour as you need? Are you willing that He 
should save you? That He should save you now '? " Behold, 
now is the accepted time ; behold, now is the day of salva- 
tion." 



Conversion and its Evidences. 



" We know that we have passed from death unto life." 
(I. John 3 : 14*.) 

The Bible has a three-fold claim upon us. The first has 
respect to what we should believe ; the second, to what we 
should do ; and the third, to what we should be. Or, in 
other words, it claims to be the standard of our faith, our 
moral conduct, and our religious experience. These elements 
of Christian character are so essential, that without them 
there can be no genuine Christianity. St. James says, 
" Faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone ;" and St. 
Paul, though earnestly contending for the doctrine of justifi- 
cation by faith alone, evidently means a faith which leads to 
Gospel obedience. Our Lord uttered a single sentence which 
covers the whole ground, when He said, " If any man do 
His will, he shall know of the doctrine ; whether it be of 
God, or whether I speak of myself." To do the will of God 
implies both faith and obedience ; and to know whether the 
doctrine of Christ is Divine, or merely human, implies 
Christian experience. Thus the truthfulness and Divine 



*This sermon was delivered before the Pittsburgh Annual Conference, 
October 2, 1885. 

60 



CONVERSION AND ITS EVIDENCES. 61 

authorship of the redeeming plan, as revealed to us in the 
Gospel, may be experimentally ascertained. We may " know 
that we have passed from death unto life." 

In the discussion of the text we will bring into view both 
the nature and the evidences of that moral change, by which 
guilty sinners become subjects of saving grace. 

I. The nature of. this change. It is here charac- 
terized as a passage " from death unto life." To have a clear 
understanding of the subject it will be necessary to notice the 
opposite conditions spoken of, and the transition from one to 
the other. 

1. The opposite conditions spoken of. These are death 
and life. The term death has a three- fold signification in the 
scriptures. It denotes, First, temporal death, or the extinc- 
tion of animal life; Second, spiritual death, or the loss of the 
favor and fellowship of God in the present life ; and, Third, 
eternal death, or " everlasting destruction from the presence 
of the Lord," in the world to come. Death, in its applica- 
tion to man, is, in every sense of the term, the result of sin. 
" By one man sin entered 'into the world, and death by sin ; 
and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." 
(Rom. 5:12.) 

The term, as it is employed in the text, signifies spiritual 
death. It cannot mean the death of the body ; for, from this 
death there can be no deliverance until the second coming of 
Christ, when all the dead shall be called into life " with the 



62 CONVERSION AND ITS EVIDENCES. 

voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God." Nor 
can it mean eternal death ; for, from this death there can be 
no release. 

That all men are, by nature, in this state of spiritual 
death, is what the scriptures abundantly prove. Jesus says, 
" The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear 
the voice of the Son of God." (John 5 : 25.) That this 
passage refers to persons in a state of spiritual death, and not 
to persons literally dead, is evident from the consideration, 
that our Lord represents them as then listening to His voice ; 
while He subsequently asserts of those who were literally 
dead and in their graves, that they too, at some future 
period, " shall hear His voice, and shall come forth." St. 
Paul uses the term death in the same sense, when he says, 
" Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and 
Christ shall give thee light." (Eph. 4:14.) He moreover 
argues the universality of spiritual death from the fact, that 
Christ died for all men. He says, "We thus judge, that if 
one died for all, then were all dead." (II. Cor. 5 : 14.) 

The dreadful character of spiritual death is thus graph- 
ically delineated by the apostle : " And you hath He quick- 
ened, who were dead in trespasses and sins ; wherein in time 
past ye walked according to the course of this world, accord- 
ing to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now 
worketh in the children of disobedience ; among whom also 
we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of. our 



CONVERSION AND ITS EVIDENCES. 63 

fleshy fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind ; and 
were by nature the children of wrath, even as others." 
(Eph. 2 : 1-3.) 

With this portraiture of man's moral condition before us, 
we know not how any one can say, as some have said, that 
" we take our existence, in the present life, in a condition of 
moral purity ;" and that, " by proper education and govern- 
ment this state of purity may be perpetuated." If human 
beings are conceived in sin, and " shapen in iniquity ; " if they 
'" go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies ; " if " fool- 
ishness is bound up in the heart of a child," all of which 
the Scriptures assert; then must we acknowledge, that "man 
is very far gone from original righteousness, and of his own 
nature inclined to evil, and that continually." 

. It is my opinion, that spiritual death was the leading 
feature of that penalty which God annexed to His original 
covenant with man, " In the day thou eatest thereof thou 
:shalt surely die ; " but it carried with it, consequently, the 
death of the body also ; because it led to the exclusion of the 
fallen pair from the tree of life — the appointed means of 
man's immortality. If this death, which " has passed upon 
all men," be not removed during our probationary state, it 
will necessarily terminate in death eternal, as the just wages 
of sin ; and to this fearful end all unconverted sinners are 
every moment liable. 

The term life, as well as that of death, has a three-fold 
application. It is used to denote animal life, spiritual life, 
and life eternal ; but as it is here employed in direct contrast 



64 CONVERSION AND ITS EVIDENCES. 

with spiritual death, it must necessarily mean spiritual life. 
This life, when ascribed to human beings, implies three 
things : reconciliation with God, a renewed moral nature, and 
a title to eternal life. 

(1.) It implies reconciliation with God. This is spoken 
of in the Scriptures as being mutual — God reconciled to man, 
and men reconciled to God. But when we speak of recon- 
ciliation on the part of God the Father, we do not mean to 
teach the doctrine, which has been advocated by some, that 
He was unwilling to save mankind, or to devise means for 
their recovery, until He was moved to do so by the mediation 
of the Son. The truth is, that the whole economy of saving 
grace is traceable to the infinite benevolence of the Father ; 
for " God so loved the world, that He gave His only be- 
gotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not 
perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3 : 16.) The 
Father's reconciliation to man consisted, therefore, not in His 
becoming willing to extend mercy to our race, but in the 
adoption of a redeeming plan, according to which He, as the 
moral Governor of the world, can justly pardon and save 
the guilty. Or, as St. Paul expresses it, " That he might be 
just, and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus." (Rom. 
3 : 26.) It -follows, therefore, that God is as fully reconciled 
to us as it is possible for Him to be, until we, according to 
the economy of grace, are personally reconciled to Him ; but 
without this reconciliation on our part, we can not become 
the subjects of spiritual life. 



CONVERSION AND ITS EVIDENCES. 65 

To be reconciled to God is to become the true disciples of 
Christ, or to receive Him as He is offered to us in the Gospel. 
The terms of discipleship which he propounded to His 
auditors are these : " If any man will come after me, let him 
deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me/' 
(Luke 9 : 23.) And in addressing some who believed on 
Him, He said, " If ye continue in my word, then are ye my 
disciples indeed ; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth 
shall make you free." (John 8 : 31, 32.) The Gospel is a 
proclamation of the reconcilement of God to fallen men, and 
of the conditions on which they may become personally re- 
conciled to God ; but it is more : it is the. divinely appointed 
means by which this personal reconciliation is to be effected. 
" It is the power of God unto salvation to every one that 
believeth." (Eom. 1 : 16.) It is on this account that St. 
Paul calls it " the word of reconciliation ; " and that he 
asserts of himself and his coadjutors, " We are ambassadors 
for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us ; we pray 
you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." (II. Cor. 
5 : 20.) 

(2.) Spiritual life implies a renewed moral nature. 
David believed this when he prayed, " Create in me a clean 
heart, O God ; and renew a right spirit within me." (Psa. 
51 : 10.) St. Paul asserts, " If any man be in Christ, he is 
a new creature : old thing are passed away ; behold, all 
things are become new." (II. Cor. 5 : 17.) And again, 



66 CONVEKSION AND ITS EVIDENCES. 

" In Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, 
nor uncircumcision, but a new creature." (Gal. 6 : 15.) 
The apostle sheds additional light upon this subject, by 
giving us a sketch of his own Christian experience. He 
says, " I am crucified with Christ : nevertheless I live ; yet 
not I, but Christ liveth in me : and the life which I now 
live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who 
loved me, and gave himself for me." (Gal. 2 : 20.) 

(3.) Spiritual life implies a title to life eternal. If we are 
the children of God by being born of the Spirit, then are we 
heirs ; — " heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ ; if so be 
that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified 
together." (Rom. 8 : 11.) This is a sublime and interesting 
view of the inheritance of the saints. They are, " heirs of 
God," — heirs to His possessions. He says to them, "All 
things are yours," — " He that overcometh shall inherit all 
things." They are heirs to God Himself. Each one of them 
can say, with David, " The Lord is the portion of mine in- 
heritance ; " or with Jeremiah, " The Lord is my portion, 
saith my soul." They are joint heirs with Christ, and shall 
share with Him in all the glory of the upper sanctuary. 
" To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my 
throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my 
Father in His throne." (Rev. 3:21.) But equally expres- 
sive, and equally encouraging to the people of God, is the 
language employed by St. Peter : " Blessed be the God and 
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His 



CONVERSION AND ITS EVIDENCES. 67 

abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope, 
by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an in- 
heritance incorruptible and undented, and that fadeth not 
away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power 
of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in 
the last time." (I. Peter 1 : 3-5.) 

2. We will consider the transition itself. " From death 
unto life." Here two things demand our attention ; the 
efficient cause of this moral change, and its experimental 
history. 

(1.) We will notice its efficient cause. The Scriptures 
most positively assert, that salvation is of the Lord. The 
language of Jeremiah is this : " Truly in the Lord our God 
is the salvation of Israel." (Jer. 3 : 23.) And St. Paul 
writes, " By grace are ye saved through faith ; and that not 
of yourselves ; it is the gift of God." (Eph. 2 : 8.) It is 
worthy of remark, however, that this regenerating work is 
ascribed to each person in the adorable Trinity : First, To 
the Father ; " Behold what manner of love the Father hath 
bestowed upon us, that we should be called (constituted) the 
sons of God ;" Secondly, To the Son ; " As many as received 
Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God ; " 
Thirdly, To the Holy Spirit ; St. Paul testifies that we are 
saved " by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the 
Holy Ghost." We see, therefore, that the raising of those 
who are dead in sin to a state of spiritual life, is a work of 
the Triune God — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 



68 CONVERSION AND ITS EVIDENCES. 

But when we say that this transition from death to life is 
a Divine work, we do not mean that sinners are entirely 
passive in the regeneration of their moral nature — that the 
work is effected unconditionally, and without any regard to 
human agency ; for, as God employs means, in His kiug- 
dom of nature, to secure important ends, so He has estab- 
lished means of grace in His plan of human recovery, in the 
proper use of which salvation is obtainable. These means, 
such as reading the Scriptures, hearing the Gospel, prayer, 
and self-denial, are largely under the control of man's moral 
agency. To use them in a proper manner will lead to life ; 
but to neglect them is to abide in death. 

(2.) We will notice the experimental history of this moral 
change. We do not suppose that God, in the conversion of 
sinners, works according to a stereotyped plan. Among those 
who " have passed from death unto life " there is, doubtless, 
in many respects, a difference of experience ; but after 
making due allowance for the free operations of sovereign 
grace on the one hand, and for the ten thousand variant cir- 
cumstances of human life on the other, it will be seen, after 
all, that the leading features of all true conversions are alike. 
They usually include three different stages of experience ; 
penitence, reformation of life, and a consciousness of the 
Divine approval ; which statement is fully sustained by the 
teachings of the Scriptures. 

On this subject the evangelical prophet is very explicit. 
He says, " Seek ye the Lord while He may be found ; call 
ye upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake 



CONVERSION AND ITS EVIDENCES. 69 

his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts ; and let 
him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon 
him ; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon." 
(Isa. 55 : 6, 7.) When Peter, on the memorable day of 
Pentecost, delivered the opening sermon of the Gospel dis- 
pensation, convicted sinners were heard to exclaim : " Men 
and brethren, what shall we do ? " His reply was, " Repent, 
and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, 
for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the 
Holy Ghost." (Acts 2 : 26.) On a subsequent occasion, 
while he was addressing a Jewish auditory, having charged 
them with killing the Prince of life, he said unto them, 
" Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may 
be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from 
the presence of the Lord." (Acts 3 : 19.) 

When our Lord sent Saul of Tarsus to preach his Gospel 
to the people and to the Gentiles, He defined the object of 
his mission to be this : "To open their eyes, and to turn 
them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan 
unto God ; that they might receive forgiveness of sins, and 
inheritance among them which are sanctified, by faith that is 
in me." (Acts 26 : 18.) These Scriptures are forcibly 
exemplified in the conversion of Saul, and of the jailer ; 
nor is the case of Lydia, whose heart God so gently opened, 
an exception to the general rule ; for true penitence must, in 
all cases, precede the gift of pardon. 



70 CONVERSION AND ITS EVIDENCES. 

II. We will notice the evidences of this moral 
change. " We know that we have passed from death unto 
life." To know an object is to be assured of its existence, 
and to have a clear perception of its nature and attributes. 
The object of knowledge, in this case, is the transition of a 
sinner from a state of nature to a state of grace. Believing, 
in agreement with the teaching of the text, that this transi- 
tion is a knowable fact, we proceed to the consideration of 
its evidences. In doing so, we begin with the remark, that 
as this change is a supernatural and Divine work, a knowl- 
edge of it is derivable alone from the operations of the Holy 
Spirit. There are two ways in which the children of God 
may know that they are the subjects of a gracious change : 
First, By a direct testimony of the Holy Spirit, called " the 
Spirit of adoption ; " and Secondly, By the regenerating and 
sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, called " the fruit of the 
Spirit." To each of these sources of knowledge respecting 
our spiritual condition we ask attention. 

1. We notice the direct testimony of the Holy Spirit. By 
this we mean a Divine impression on the mind of a penitent 
sinner that all his sins are freely forgiven, and that he is 
bom of the Spirit. We admit that previous to the realiza- 
tion of this direct testimony, a man may be conscious of 
gracious influences, and of favorable changes in his moral 
character ; but he cannot have that assurance of the Divine 
approval which excludes all doubt, until he receives " the 
Spirit of adoption." St. Paul says, in writing to the 



CONVERSION AND ITS EVIDENCES. 71 

Romans, " Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again 
to fear, but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby 
we cry Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness 
with our spirit, that we are the children of God." (Rom. 
2 : 15, 16.) To the Galatians he writes, " When the fulness 
of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a 
woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under 
the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And 
because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his 
Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father." (Gal. 4 : 4-6.) 

The direct testimony of the Holy Spirit to our sonship is 
sometimes spoken of under the figure of a seal. St. Paul 
says, " God hath sealed us, and given the earnest of the 
Spirit in our hearts." (II. Cor. 1 : 22.) And again, " In 
whom also, after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that 
Holy Spirit of promise." (Eph. 1 : 13.) That this is to be 
understood of the Divine Spirit, is evident from the 
language of the same apostle, when he says, " Grieve not the 
Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the clay of 
redemption. (Eph. 4 : 30.) 

The bestowment of the Holy Spirit as a witness to our 
adoption is one of the most benevolent features of the 
economy of redemption. Regeneration is a work of the 
Holy Spirit, which is, to a greater or less extent, a matter of 
conscious experience. Those, therefore, who are the subjects 
of it may draw comforting conclusions, from their own con- 
sciousness, respecting their spiritual condition. But to 



72 CONVEKSION AND ITS EVIDENCES. 

pardon a penitent sinner is simply a gracious act on the part 
of God, of which the sinner himself can have no knowledge, 
until God sees it proper, in His own time and manner, to 
reveal it. To illustrate and enforce this thought the apostle 
says, " What man knoweth the things of a man, save the 
spirit of man which is in him ? even so, the things of God 
knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God." He therefore 
adds, " Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, 
but the Spirit which is of God ; that we might know the 
things that are freely given to us of God." (I. Cor. 2 : 11, 
12.) St. John pursues the same line of argument, when he 
says, " Hereby know we that we dwell in Him, and He in 
us, because He hath given us of His Spirit." (I. John 4 : 13.) 
Some assert that a knowledge of pardon by the testimony 
of the Holy Spirit, though granted to a favored few, is not 
the common privilege of the people of God. To this we 
reply, that the assertion is gratuitous — that the Scriptures 
teach no such doctrine. On the contrary, they clearly indi- 
cate that it is the privilege of all who are born of God. St. 
Paul says, " Because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the 
Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father." 
He does not say, because ye are favored above others ; but, 
" because ye are sons." If, therefore, the Spirit of adoption 
was given to the Galatians because they were sons, the same 
principle of administration will make it a common gift to all 
who become the sons of God, by faith in Christ Jesus. 



CONVERSION AND ITS EVIDENCES. 73 

But there is another passage of Scripture which strongly 
represents this gift of the Spirit as a common element of 
Christian experience. Peter, after speaking of the death of 
our Lord, His exaltation to be a Prince and a Saviour, and 
His giving repentance to Israel and remission of sins, adds : 
" And we are His witnesses of these things ; and so is also 
the Holy Ghost, whom God giveth to them that obey Him. 7 ' 
(Acts 5 : 32.) He does not say to some of " them that obey 
Him/' but " to them that obey Him." Who, then are they 
u that obey Him ? " Doubtless, all true Christians ; for 
Jesus says, " Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I com- 
mand you." (John 15 : 14.) And St. John asserts, " He 
that saith, I know Him, (Jesus Christ,) and keepeth not His 
commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." 
(I. John 2:4.) It folloAvs, therefore, from the obvious import 
of these Scriptures, that the Spirit of adoption, as a witness- 
ing Spirit, is to be expected by all who become the true dis- 
ciples of Jesus Christ. Those who have not received it may 
know that the preventing cause is in themselves. 

When the Holy Spirit conveys to the mind of the penitent 
sinner the welcome message of pardon, the evidence is usually 
so clear and convincing, and the consequent joy so full and 
transporting, that a rational investigation of this gracious 
change is hardly ever thought of. He is carried along on the 
flood-tide of unspeakable peace, or of rapturous joy, think- 
ing of little else than grateful praise to his Almighty Deliverer. 



74 CONVERSION AND ITS EVIDENCES. 

His language is in perfect harmony with that of the Psalmist, 
when he said, " Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is 
within me, bless His holy name ! " or he sings with the poet. 
11 My God is reconciled ; 

His pardoning voice I hear : 
He owns me for His child ; 

I can no longer fear : 
With confidence I now draw nigh, 
And Father, Abba, Father, cry." 
2. We now come to consider the evidence arising from the 
regenerating and sanctifying work of the Spirit. This includes 
all those fruits of the Spirit which are consciously realized in 
the process of our personal salvation, from its inception in 
spiritual illumination, until its culmination in perfect love. 
St. Paul says, " The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, 
long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temper- 
ance." (Gal. 5 : 22, 23.) The proof of our sonship which 
these graces of the Spirit afford, as distinguished from the 
direct witness of the Spirit, is inferential ; or it is some times 
called, the testimony of our own spirit. God has so consti- 
tuted the human mind, that it is conscious of all its own 
acts, perceptions, passions and changes. He has also clearly 
defined, in His written word, the operations of the Spirit in 
the work of our regeneration. If, therefore, our consciousness 
corresponds to this inspired description, our rational and 
moral nature tells us that we are the subjects of converting 
grace. This kind of evidence is applicable both to the pro- 
cess of our conversion, and to our spiritual condition in after 
life. 



CONVEKSION AND ITS EVIDENCES. 75 

(1.) It bears witness to the genuineness of our conversion. 
He who will honestly compare his experience with the teach- 
ings of the Bible, in regard to this moral change, can hardly 
be at a loss to determine his religious status ; for if he is 
born of the Spirit, he must be, to some extent, a partaker of 
the fruits of the Spirit. Hence it is written, " If any man 
be in Christ, he is a new creature ; old things are passed 
away ; behold, all things are become new." This is strong 
language ; but it is nevertheless a true and lively expression 
of the views and feelings " of a soul in its earliest love." 

The pardoned sinner knows well, that previous to his con- 
version he was far from God, and without hope in the world ; 
that he was " dead in trespasses and sins ; " and that he lived 
regardless of the law of God, and was walking in the broad 
way which leads to distraction: But now he knows that 
these and kindred evils " are passed away," and he feels that 
he is a new man, not by any physical change in his personality, 
but by a change in his moral character and condition. He is 
" created in Christ Jesus unto good works," (Eph. 2 : 10.) 
His views of God, of the Redeemer, of the Christian religion, 
of himself, of the world, and of the future state, are all new. 
Indeed, no thought is more common, to the recently converted 
sinner, than that " all things are become neio." The Bible, 
though he may have read it before, is to him a new book ; its 
doctrines, its promises, and its threatenings are all regarded 
in a new light ; even the very atmosphere which he inhales 
seems to possess a new and exhilarating quality ; all nature 



76 CONVERSION AND ITS EVIDENCES. 

appears to be clothed in a new dress ; and in the countenance 
of his friends he sees a glow of love and beauty which he 
never saw before. 

(2.) The fruits of the Spirit are declarative of our contin- 
uance in a state of grace. It is no uncommon thing for a new 
convert, while rejoicing in a consciousness of pardon, to con- 
clude that his troubles are all past, and that uninterrupted 
blessedness awaits him in the future. The possibility of this 
we will not deny, for " with God all things are possible ; " 
but we know that such is not the common tenor of Christian 
experience. The Scriptures teach, and the history of the 
church confirms the lesson, that " in the world we shall have 
tribulation • " and that " we must through much tribula- 
tion enter into the kingdom of God.' 7 However ecstatic, 
therefore, may be the joy of one who is born of the Spirit, 
and however long it may continue, there comes a day, and 
perhaps it comes to all, when he is " in heaviness through 
manifold temptations ; " and when, in the language of the 
Psalmist, he " finds trouble and sorrow." It may be, too, 
that the Spirit of adoption no longer bears witness to his 
regeneration, and that he is left to grope his way in compar- 
ative darkness. 

In circumstances like these, the inexperienced Christian is 
liable to become greatly discouraged, fearing that the trials 
which he is called to endure are indications of the Divine 
displeasure. He is inclined to say, as did the patriarch in 
an hour of mental suffering, " all these things are against 



CONVERSION AND ITS EVIDENCES. 77 

me." But is any Christian to conclude, from his being in a 
state of clisconsolation, either that he was mistaken in regard 
to his conversion, or that God has forsaken him ? Certainly 
not ; for " whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and 
scourgeth every son whom He receiveth." (Heb. 12:6.) 
Hence it follows, that if we are the children of God, we are 
subjects of His Fatherly correction ; and that this chastise- 
ment, however painful it may be, instead of indicating His 
disapproval, is a strong proof that we are the objects of His 
love. 

It is a principle in the dealings of God with men, that the 
faith of His people must in some way be tested. Peter char- 
acterizes the trial of the Christian's faith as being much more 
precious, that is, of much more value or importance, than the 
trial of gold. It is of infinite value to him personally ; for 
" tribulation worketh patience ; and patience, experience ; 
(eoKtju^, proof, confirmation,) and experience hope." (Rom. 
5 : 3, 4.) It is of unspeakable value in its influence on 
others ; for by this means " we are compassed about with a 
cloud of witnesses," who nobly bore the cross " as seeing 
Him who is invisible," and are now at rest. To all, there- 
fore, whose faith is undergoing a process of trial, we would 
say, in the language of the prophet, " who is among you 
that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of His servant, 
that walketh in darkness, and hath no light ? Let him trust 
in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God." (Tsa. 
50 : 10.) 



78 CONVERSION AND ITS EVIDENCES. 

The mariner upon a stormy sea may not, for a time, 
behold the sun by day, the moon by night, or a single 
guiding star ; but by means of his chart and compass he may 
satisfy himself that he is tending toward the desired haven. 
In like manner the Christian, in the most adverse circum- 
stances of his earthly prilgrimage, may find some proof, in 
his own experience, that he is born of the Spirit. Less than 
this the apostle could not mean, when he said, " Let every 
man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in 
himself alone, and not in another." (Gal. 6 : 4.) Thus by 
an impartial examination of ourselves we may at all times 
and under all circumstances, derive from our own experience 
some consoling proof that we are the accepted children of 
God. Let us take, for instance, as the basis of our examina- 
tion, the single fruit of the Spirit, love to God ; without 
which no one can be a Christian. This love, we are taught, 
has its cause in the manifestation of God's love to us. St. 
Paul says, " The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts, 
by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." (Rom. 5 : 5.) 
And St. John asserts, " We love Him because He first loved 
us." (I. John 4:19.) Now, if an effect proves the existence 
of its cause, as is self evident ; and if the love of God mani- 
fested toward us is the cause of our love to Him, as these 
Scriptures prove ; then a consciousness that we love God is 
evidence of His love toward us. 

But some may say, how are we to know that our love to 
God is genuine. We answer ; this may be determined by its 
influence upon our moral conduct. Jesus says, " He that 



CONVERSION AND ITS EVIDENCES. 79 

liath ray commandments, and keepeth thein, he it is that 
loveth rae." (John 14 : 21.) And St. John teaches the same 
doctrine, when he says, " This is the love of God that we 
keep His commandments." (I. John 5 : 3.) But if to 
obey the commandments of God is proof of loving Him in 
sincerity, and if we know that we are making the revealed 
will of God the rule of our life, then we have reason to 
believe that our love for Him is such as He will accept. 
Finally, in determining our relation to God as His true 
worshippers, conscience performs a very important office ; for 
it places the stamp of right or wrong upon every moral action 
of our life. We do not claim that the dictates of conscience 
are always according to truth ; but it is a most faithful mon- 
itor, according to the light by which it is governed. Xor 
should its voice ever be disregarded, especially when it is 
enlightened by the word of God, and purified by the work of 
the Spirit. The Christian is exhorted to "war a good war- 
fare," holding faith and a good conscience ; that is, believing 
the truth, and acting according to the dictates of conscience. 
Thus St. Paul declares, " Herein do I exercise myself, to 
have always a conscience void of offense toward God, and 
toward men." (Acts 24 : 16.) Again he says, in writing to 
the Corinthians, " Our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our 
conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with 
fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our 
conversation in the world." (II. Cor. 1 : 12.) St. John 
representing conscience by the term heart, says, " If our 



80 CONVERSION AND ITS EVIDENCES. 

heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart and 
knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, 
then have we confidence toward God." (I. John 3 : 21, 22.) 
We will close our discourse by saying, that it should be 
with unfeigned gratitude to God that we study the plan of 
human recovery. Its adaptation to our wants and moral con- 
dition is so perfect, that it commends itself to our reason, as 
having originated in infinite wisdom and benevolence. It 
proposes to save us from the guilt, the polution, and the 
dominion of sin ; and finally, from all its consequences. 
This great salvation carries with it its own evidence, 
in the light of which we can say, with the utmost assur- 
ance, " We know that we have passed from death unto 
life." 



Eternal Life in Christ. 



" God hatli given to us eternal life, and, this life is in His Son." 
(I. John 5 : 11.) 

It is evident, we think, from the history of man, that God 
intended he should never die. We will not assert that he 
possessed what some call natural immortality ; but the fruit 
of the tree of life, to which he had free access in his Para- 
disian home, seems to have been the Divinely appointed 
means of perpetuating his life ; until, in the providence of 
God, his probation on earth should be terminated, and he 
should be translated, without tasting death, to his reward in 
heaven. 

But though man, in his primeval state, was beyond the 
power of death, yet it was possible for him, by the abuse of 
his moral faculties, to sin against God, to forfeit his life, and 
to bring death upon himself and all his posterity. Hence it 
is written, " By one man sin entered into the world, and 
death by sin ; and so death passed upon all men, for that all 
have sinned." 

If the full penalty of the law had been inflicted upon the 
first offenders, it would have been strictly just ; but God, 
who is rich in mercy, and whose goodness extends to all His 

81 



82 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

creatures, could not take pleasure in the destruction of those 
whom he had made in his own image. His infinite benevo- 
lence inclined Him to establish a redeeming plan which, 
while it honors the Divine government, rescues fallen man 
from the curse of the law, replaces him in a state of proba- 
tion, and secures to the penitent believer reconciliation with 
God, victory over death, and a home in heaven. 

This plan of human recovery centers in the redeeming 
work of our Lord Jesus Christ ; of which we have an 
inspired record in the holy Scriptures. The Messianic pre- 
dictions of the Old Testament, and the historic and doctrinal 
teachings of the Xew, constitute what St. John calls " the 
record that God gave of his Son ; " the sum of which record 
is this : " God hath given to us eternal life ; and this life is 
in His Son/' 

The text contains two distinct and vastly interesting 
propositions. 

I. " God hath given to us eternal life." In the 
consideration of this proposition we will notice the gift, the 

Giver, and the recipients. 

1. The gift. The apostle calls it " eternal life," in regard 
to which we remark : 

(1.) That it is something more than an endless state of con- 
scious existence. This is doubtless the common destiny of 
all men, whether saved or unsaved. One of the most 
solemn facts connected with humanity is this ; that though 
there is a beginning to the conscious existence of every 



ETERNAL LIFE IN CHRIST. 83 

human being, to that existence there shall be no end. The 
wicked " shall go away into everlasting punishment ; but the 
righteous into life eternal." (Matt, 25 : 46.) The Greek 
word, aluviov, which is here rendered both everlasting and 
eternal, means unlimited as to duration. If it proves there- 
fore the endless happiness of the righteous, it proves, with 
equal force the endless punishment of the wicked. In their 
case, however, conscious existence will be eternal death, 
instead of eternal life. Hence, this life means something 
more than endless consciousness. 

(2.) That it is something more than the life of heaven. 
This is doubtless included ; but the apostle speaks of a gift 
which is received in the present life. He does not say as did 
St. Paul, " We know that, if our earthly house of this 
tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a 
house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." Paul, 
in using this strong language, had the eye of his faith fixed 
upon his glorious home in heaven ; but St. John says, " God 
hath given to us eternal life." It was not a gift for which he 
had hoped, but one which he possessed. This leads us to 
remark : 

(3.) That this gift is, in reality, that great salvation which 
was purchased hy Christ, and is bestowed on all who believe in 
Him. Our Lord, in the solemn act of prayer to the Father, 
and in reference to His disciples, said, " This is life eternal, 
that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus 
Christ, whom Thou hast sent," (John 17 : 3.) Thus we 



84 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

are taught, that eternal life consists in a knowledge of God, 
as He has revealed Himself in the economy of grace through 
Jesus Christ. St. John says, " These things have I written 
unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God ; that 
ye may know that ye have eternal life." (I. John 5:13.) It 
follows, therefore, that the gift of which the apostle speaks is 
our personal salvation in the present life. This salvation is 
a matter of conscious experience, beginning in the work of 
regeneration, and culminating in " the love of God shed 
abroad in our hearts, by the Holy Ghost which is given unto 
us." (Rom. 5 : 5.) The recipients of this great salvation 
can say, with humble confidence, " We know that we have 
passed from death unto life ; " (I. John 3 : 14.) " We know 
that we are of God." (I. John 5 : 19.) 

But why, it may be inquired, is this salvation call eternal 
life f We answer : 

(1.) Because it is a salvation both from spiritual death, 
and from condemnation to death eternal. By nature all 
men are spiritually dead — " dead in trespasses and sins ; " 
and, while unpardoned, are under the sentence of endless 
death. " He that believeth not the Son shall not see life ; 
but the wrath of God abideth on him." (John 3 : 36.) 
On the other hand, however, " he that believeth on the Son 
hath everlasting life." (John 3 : 36.) " The hour is 
coming," said our Lord, " and now is, when the dead shall 
hear the voice of the Son of God ; and they that hear shall 
live." (John 5 : 25.) 



ETERNAL LIFE IX CHRIST. 85 

(2.) Because the blessedness which it affords, though uot 
equal in degree to that of the redeemed in heaven, is never- 
theless the same in nature. Our knowledge of heavenly 
bliss is very imperfect, and must continue to be so while we 
dwell on earth ; but it will hardly be denied that peace with 
God, fellowship with the Father and the Son, the love 
of God filliug the soul, and "joy unspeakable and full of 
glory," will be leading elements in the future blessedness of 
the saints. If so, the sameness in the blessedness of the 
saved on earth and in heaven will follow ; with this differ- 
ence, however, that here we drink of the stream, but there 
we shall bathe in the fountain. 

(3.) Because it is the purpose of God, that our present 
salvation shall be perpetuated in the future state. Jesus 
says, " This is the Father's will which hath sent me, that 
of all which He hath given me I should lose nothing, but 
should raise it up at the last day." (John 6 : 39.) " My 
sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me : 
and I give unto them eternal life ; and they shall never 
perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." 
(John 10 : 27.) And again, " Father, I will that they also 
whom Thou hast given me, be with me where I am ; that 
they may behold my glory." (John 17 : 24.) 

2. The Giver. " God hath given to us eternal life." No 
truth is more clearly taught in the Bible, than that " salva- 
tion is of the Lord." It is both the gift of His boundless 
grace, and the work of His almighty power. ."By grace 



86 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

are ye saved, through faith; and that (salvation by grace) 
not of yourselves : it is the gift of God." (Eph. 2:8.) 
"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but 
according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of 
regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost. (Titus 3 : 5.) 
3. The recipients. " God hath given to us eternal life." 
To whom ? To all men ? No ; there are many of our 
fallen race who shall never obtain eternal life. In vain may 
universalism dream of the ultimate holiness and happiness 
of all men, while it stands recorded in the inspired volume, 
that " those who know not God, and obey not the Gospel of 
our Lord Jesus Christ, shall be punished with everlasting 
destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the 
glory of his power." (II. Thess. 1 : 8, 9.) But if Christ 
has died for all men, and if He is willing to save all, as the 
Scriptures assert, why do any perish ? To this question He 
presents the true and only reason : " Ye will not come unto 
me, that ye might have life." (John 5 : 40.) " If ye 
believe not that I am He, (the Christ,) ye shall die in your 
sins." (John 8 : 24.) It is therefore to them who receive 
Christ, and to them only, eternal life is given. "As many 
as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons 
of God, even to them that believe on His name." (John 
1: 12. 

II. "This life is in His Son." To establish the 
proposition, that eternal life is in the Son of God, it is only 
necessary to remark, 



ETERXAL LIFE IN CHRIST. 8/ 

1. That wail's capacity to enjoy this life is a result of His 
mediation. Had no remedy been provided for fallen man, 
the penalty of the law, to its full extent, would have been 
inflicted upon the offending pair. This, as every one knows, 
would have prevented the existence of their whole posterity ; 
but now, that we take our personal existence in the world, 
under circumstances which render us capable of realizing 
eternal life, is because the Son of God became the Redeemer 
of man. Through Him " the free gift came upon all men 
unto justification of life." (Rom. 5 : 18.) The decree of 
death was so far reversed, as to place man again in a proba- 
tionary state. 

2. This life is in the Son, because it is the purchase of 
His sufferings and death. That the sufferings of Christ 
were vicarious is clearly taught in the sacred Scriptures. 
The evangelical prophet says, " He (Christ) was wounded 
for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities ; the 
chastisement of our peace was upon Him ; and with His 
stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray ; 
we have turned every one to his own way ; and the Lord 
hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all." (Isa. 53 : 5, 6.) 
Our Lord predicted His own crucifixion for the recovery of 
man, when He said, "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the 
wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up ; that 
whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have 
everlasting life." (John 3 : 15.) " For when we were with- 
out strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly." 



88 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

(Rom. 5:6.) " Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of 
the law, being made a curse for us." (Gal. 3 : 13.) Peter 
expresses, with peculiar emphasis, the vicarious character of 
Christ's redeeming work. His language is this : " Who 
His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that 
we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness : by 
whose stripes ye were healed." (I. Peter 2 : 24.) 

3. This life is in the Son, because it is only by believing 
in Him that it can be realized. If the all important question 
be proposed by any one, " What must I do to be saved ? " 
the only evangelical reply is, "Believe on the Lord Jesus 
Christ, and thou shalt be saved." (Acts 16 : 30, 31.) Jesus 
says, " Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on 
me hath everlasting life." (John 6 : 47.) The exercise of 
true faith in the Son of God marks the difference between 
the justified and the ungodly. " He that believeth on the 
Sou hath everlasting life : and he that believeth not on the 
Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on 
him." (John 3 : 36.) It must be remembered, however, 
that the faith which the Gospel requires, as the condition of 
salvation, must be both practical and persistent. 

(1.) It must be practical. The terms of discipleship pro- 
pounded by our Lord prove this. He said to His disciples, 
" If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and 
take up his cross, and follow me." (Matt. 16 : 24.) In clos- 
ing His Sermon on the Mount He made this impressive 
application : " Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, 



ETERNAL LIFE IX CHRIST. 89 

and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which 
built his house upon a rock." "And every one that heareth 
these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened 
unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand." 
St. James declares, that, " as the body without the spirit is 
dead, so faith without works is dead also." (James 2 : 26.) 
It is a significant fact, that Jesiis Christ, in closing up the 
revelations which He gave to His beloved disciple, should 
call attention to the importance of practical Christianity. 
" Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they 
may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through 
the gates into the city." (Rev. 22 : 14.) 

(2.) It must be jiersistent. We are taught, by the parable 
of the sower, that men may receive the Gospel with joy, and 
yet fail to obtain eternal life. Many, who for a time give 
encouraging promise of a successful Christian career, do 
afterward become weary in well-doing, yield to doubt, and 
ultimately cast away their confidence in God. They suffer 
their faith either to expire under the weight of the cross, or 
to be extinguished by the cares and allurements of the world. 
Hence it follows, that while the exercise of faith is absolutely 
necessary to the obtainment of spiritual life and peace with 
God, it is equally necessary to the perpetuation of this state 
of grace. Jesus says, " I am the vine, ye are the branches. 
He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth 
forth much fruit, for without me ye can do nothing." (John 
15 : 5.) There is hardly any Christian duty more frequently 



90 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

alluded to in the sacred Scriptures, in one form or other, than 
that of persistence in believing. " We are made partakers 
of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stead- 
fast unto the end." (Heb. 3 : 14.) " Cast not away there- 
fore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. 
For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the 
will of God, ye might receive the promise." (Heb. 10 : 35, 
36.) " Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a 
crown of life." (Rev. 2 : 10.) 

4. This life is in the S071, because it will be consummated ', at 
the last day, by His award. That Jesus Christ is to be 
our final Judge, is a clearly revealed article of Christianity. 
" The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judg- 
ment unto the Son." (John 5 : 22.) Peter tells us that our 
Lord, after He had risen from the dead, commanded His 
apostles " to testify that it is He which was ordained 
of God to be the Judge of quick and dead." (Acts 10 : 42.) 
St. Paul, in his notable sermon on Mars' hill, said to the 
Athenians, " God hath appointed a day, in which He will 
judge the world in righteousness by that man whom He 
hath ordained ; whereof He hath given assurance unto all 
men, in that He hath raised Him from the dead." (Acts 
17:31.) 

It is a benevolent arrangement in the economy of redemp- 
tion, and eminently fitting in itself, that the Judge on whose 
decision our eternal destiny depends should be man, as well 
as God ; and that He should know by experience the ills of 



ETERNAL LIFE IN CHRIST. 91 

human life. It should be to us a source of comfort and en- 
courage nient, that in the Judge of our race we recognize a 
Brother, a Fellow-sufferer, a sympathizing Friend, an 
almighty Deliverer ; and though He will judge His people 
in equity, He will judge them in mercy, and " will spare 
them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth hirn." 

Having considered the propositions of the text, that " God 
hath given to us eternal life," and that " this life is in His 
Son," we now call attention to two closing remarks : 

(1.) The economy of redemption is the grandest theme 
ever presented to the human mind. While it gives " glory 
to God in the highest," it rescues fallen man from endless 
destruction, and makes ample provision for his elevation to 
the enjoyment of eternal life. A personal experience of this 
great salvation, so far as it relates to our probationary state, 
is the richest treasure that ever gladdened the heart of man. 
It is nothing less than " peace with God, through our Lord 
Jesus Christ," and " the love of God shed abroad in our 
hearts, by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." But, 

(2.) However joyous or exciting our experiences may be, 
while we sojourn on earth, they are, when compared with 
what awaits us in the future, only as the droppings of the 
cloud, to the copious shower which follows ; or as the twink- 



92 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

ling of the morning star, to the brilliancy of the noonday 
sun. We now " rejoice in hope of the glory of God ; " but 
the hour is coming when we " shall see the King in His 
beauty, and behold the land that is very far off." 

" Then shall I see, and hear, and know 

All I desired or wished below ; 

And every power find sweet employ 

In that eternal world of joy." 



The Penitent Backslider, 



" Restore unto me the joy of Thy solvation, and uphold me 
with Thy free Spirit. Then -will I teach transgressors Thy 
ways, and sinners shall be converted unto Thee." (Psa. 
51 :13.) 

David, the second king of Israel, was one of the most 
remarkable and distinguished men of the Jewish nation. The 
merest sketch of his character and doings would make an 
interesting volume. The Divine testimony respecting him is 
this : " I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine 
own heart, which shall fulfill all my will." But to draw the 
conclusion from this testimony, as some have done, that all 
the acts of David's life were according to the will of God, 
would be a great error. 

It may be truthfully asserted of him that, as the king of 
Israel, his heart was set in him to do the will of God, and to 
reign over that people in righteousness ; and that as a man 
of piety, the general tenor of his moral conduct was in ac- 
cord with the principles of rectitude ; but it is equally true, 
that some of his doings were contrary to the Divine will, 
reproachful to the cause of revealed religion, and destructive 
of his own peace. 



94 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

Among the many good traits in the character of David, 
one was, that when he did go astray from the path of virtue, 
he could not consent to remain in a backslidden and guilty con- 
dition ; but when convinced of error or sin he delayed not to 
humble himself before God in penitence and prayer. Nor 
could he rest in the fact of penitential confession : he refused 
to be satisfied with any thing short of a restoration to the 
favor of God in conscious pardon. 

It is generally believed that David wrote this Psalm after 
he had sinned in the case of Uriah ; and that it is expressive 
of his penitential experience on that occasion. The text 
itself contains a 'prayer, a vow, and a prediction. We notice, 

I. The prayer. " Restore unto me the joy of Thy 
salvation, and uphold me with Thy free Spirit." In this 
prayer the Psalmist offers two petitions : 

1. He prays for restoring grace. "Restore unto me the 
joy of Thy salvation." From this petition we may legiti- 
mately draw the conclusion, 

(1.) That the saints of God, wilder the Old Testament dis- 
pensation, were subjects of a saving change. By this we 
mean, that they were made partakers of that moral renova- 
tion which is preceded by penitence and accompanied by 
pardon. In the case before us, the prayer of the Psalmist is 
not for salvation, but for the restoration of the joy of salva- 
tion. It necessarily implies, therefore, that when he offered 
this petition he was destitute of this joy ; that he had pre- 



THE PENITENT BACKSLIDER. 95 

viously realized it, without which it could not be restored ; 
and that he had been made a subject of the salvation of God, 
from which alone the joy of His salvation can arise. 

The conditions upon which sinners were saved under the 
former dispensation are thus propounded by Isaiah : " Let 
the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his 
thoughts ; and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have 
mercy upon him ; and to our God, for He will abundantly 
pardon." (Isaiah 55 : 7.) In agreement with this, David 
says, " I acknowledged my sin unto Thee, and mine iniquity 
have I not hid. I said, I will confess my trangressions unto 
the Lord ; and Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin." 
(Psa. 32 : 5.) He testifies again, " Truly my soul waiteth 
upon God ; from Him cometh my salvation." (Psa. 62 : 1.) 

The Scriptures call our attention to a long line of distin- 
guished men, who were doubtless subjects of saving grace. 
Among them we may name Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, 
Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, David, Samuel and the Prophets ; 
of whom the apostle says, " The world was not worthy." 

(2.) That salvation from sin is a fruitful source of real joy. 
" Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation." Joy is a pleas- 
urable feeling of the mind, arising from the acquisition of 
some good, or from a rational expectation of it ; and the joy 
should correspond in degree with the value of the good ob- 
tained or hoped for. If this view is correct, sinners saved by 
grace should be of all men the most joyful. Their present 



96 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

salvation is of more value to them than all the world — it is 
the one thing needful ; and the good for which they hope in 
the future state is beyond human comprehension. 

That the pious Jews were joyful in the service of God is 
abundantly evident. To prove this we quote David and 
Isaiah, two representative men of the nation. David, in re- 
lating a portion of his religious experience, says, " I waited 
patiently for the Lord ; and He inclined unto me, and heard 
my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out 
of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established 
my goings. And He hath put a new song in my mouth, even 
praise to our God." (Psa. 40 : 1-3.) The language of Isaiah 
is this : " Behold, God is my salvation ; I will trust in Him, 
and not be afraid ; for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and 
my song; He also is become my salvation." (Isa. 12 : 2.) 

Under the Gospel dispensation, however, God has been 
pleased to reveal to His people, more fully than ever before, 
the joy of His salvation. Of this interesting fact there are 
predictive indications in the Sacred Scriptures. The prophet 
Joel foretold that, in the last days God would pour out of 
His Spirit upon all flesh. Our Lord, previous to His cruci- 
fixion, and in \ T iew of His leaving the world, said to His 
disciples, " I will pray the Father, and He shall send you 
another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever." 
(John 14 : 16.) After He had risen from the dead, and im- 
mediately before tie ascended to heaven, He said to the apos- 



THE PENITENT BACKSLIDER. 97 

ties, " Behold, I will send the promise of my Father upon 
you ; but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued 
with power from on high." (Luke 24 : 49.) 

These Scriptures had their primary fulfillment in that bap- 
tismal affusion of the Holy Spirit, which fell upon the infant 
Church on the day of Pentecost ; and by which the apostles 
were qualified for their evangelistic work. Hence, when they 
went forth in the prosecution of their high commission, though 
wickedly opposed and cruelly persecuted, they " were filled 
with joy, and with the Holy Ghost," (Acts 13 : 52.) St. 
Paul asserts of the justified, that they " rejoice in hope of the 
glory of God," (Pom. 5 : 2) and St. Peter says to those whom 
he addresses, " Ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of 
glory." (I. Pet. 1 : 8.) 

(3.) That the joy of salvation may be forfeited or withdrawn. 
Hence the prayer for its restoration. There were periods in 
the life of David when he could say, " I will praise Thee, O 
Lord, with my whole heart ;" but he also realized seasons of 
darkness and sorrow. We hear him exclaim, " O, my God, 
my soul is cast down within me. All Thy waves and Thy 
billows are gone over me." 

The loss of spiritual joy may be ascribed to various causes. 
It may result from physical disease, from a constitutional in- 
clination to doubtfulness and despondency, or from sore trials 
and temptations. But its common cause is either the neglect 
of some known duty, or the violation of some Divine law. 
Wrong doing, in any of its ten thousand forms, is followed 



V8 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

by a consciousness of guilt ; and this is at once destructive of 
all religious enjoyment. "If our heart condemn us, God is 
greater than our heart, and knoweth all things." (I. John 
3 : 20.) 

(4.) That a restoration of this joy must be sought by peni- 
tence and 'prayer. The Psalmist therefore prays, " Restore 
unto me the joy of Thy salvation." It is as necessary for the 
erring child of God to repent, in order to obtain pardon and 
peace, as it is for the unconverted sinner. " He that covereth 
his sins shall not prosper; but whoso confesseth and for- 
saketh them shall have mercy." (Prov. 28 : 13.) " Return 
unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts." 
(Mai. 3 : 7.) 

2. He prays for sustaining grace. " Uphold me with 
Thy free Spirit." From this petition we learn, 

(1.) That we need Divine help in the service we owe to God. 
David understood this when he testified, that " The steps of a 
good man are ordered by the Lord." The same doctrine is 
forcibly presented by Jeremiah. His language is this : " O 
Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself; it is 
not in man that walketh to direct his steps." (Jer. 10 : 23.) 
Our Lord, knowing the trials awaiting His disciples in the 
world, and knowing, too, their inability to endure them with- 
out supernatural aid, offered in their behalf this tender and 
impressive prayer : " Holy Father, keep through Thine own 
name those whom Thou hast given me, that they may be one, 



THE PENITENT BACKSLIDER. 99 

as we are." (John 17 : 11.) We see therefore that the right- 
eous " are kept by the power of God through faith unto sal- 
vation, ready to be revealed in the last time." (I. Peter 1 : 5.) 
(2.) That it is our privilege to call upon God for help in 
His service. It is our privilege, because He has revealed 
Himself to us as " our refuge and strength, a very present 
help in trouble." (Psa. 46:1.) Accordingly we are ex- 
horted to " come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may 
obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (Heb. 
4:16.) But it is also our duty; for God has said, " Call 
upon me in the day of trouble, and I will answer thee." 
(Psa. 50 : 15.) This duty is enforced by the authority of our 
Lord, when He taught His disciples to pray, " Lead us not 
into temptation, but deliver us from evil." It is therefore 
necessary, that he who would serve God acceptably, should 
pray to Him as did the Psalmist, " Uphold me with thy free 
Spirit."* We notice, 

II. The vovv t . " Then will I teach transgressors Thy 
ways." This language impliedly calls our attention to two 
very important questions — the duty which the pious owe to 
the unconverted, and the religious experience which is neces- 
sary to its successful performance. 

1. Ihe duty which the pious owe to the unconverted. This 
is simply to labor for their enlightenment and salvation ; or, 
in other Avords, to teach transgressors the ways of the Lord. 



*The Holy Spirit is here called a free Spirit, for which two reasons may be 
given. 1, He confers spiritual freedom on all who receive Him ; and 2, He is 
freely given to all who sincerely seek Him. 



100 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

The conversion of sinners, we know, is emphatically the 
work of God ; nevertheless it is usually brought about by 
human agency. This fact was recognized by our Lord, when 
he said to His disciples, " Ye are the salt of the earth/' — 
" Ye are the light of the world." The authority by which 
this duty is enforced is nothing less than the express com- 
mand of the Master : " Let your light so shine before 
men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your 
Father which is in heaven." (Matt. 5 : 16.) It was by 
the agency of Andrew that Peter was brought to Jesus, and 
became His disciple. It was by the agency of the woman of 
Sychar that many of that city were lead to receive Christ as 
the promised Messiah. Indeed, all the practical workings 
of the redeeming plan proceed upon this principle. Thus, 
when Saul of Tarsus was sent to preach the Gospel to Jews 
and Gentiles, the object of his mission was this : " To open 
their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and 
from the power of Satan unto God." (Acts 26 : 18.) This 
agency, while it belongs in its highest degree to the Christian 
ministry, may be successfully exercised by every true 
Christian. 

2. The religious experience which is necessary to success, in 
working for the conversion of sinners. AVe do not claim that 
the nature of this experience is definitely expressed in the 
text ; but it is clearly implied in the Psalmist's prayer. He 
did not propose, in his backslidden and enfeebled condition, 
to engage in the work of teaching transgressors the ways of 



THE PENITENT BACKSLIDER. 101 

the Lord ; but that he miglit be qualified for this sacred ser- 
vice, he prayed for the restoration of the joy of salvation, and 
the sustaining power of the Holy Spirit. " Then" said he, 
" will I teach transgressors Thy ways." 

This gives us a view of the true philosophy of religious 
revivals. If the members of the church would be extensively 
instrumental in the conversion of sinners, they must enjoy 
the Divine approval, and realize Divine help ; but if they 
are destitute of an experience of this kind, they are unquali- 
fied to discharge their obligations to God, the Church, or the 
world. As ministers of the Gospel, our sermons may be 
orthodox, logical, and systematic ; but if, in delivering them, 
our hearts are not warmed and energized by the fire of 
Divine love, we are but "as sounding brass, or a tinkling 
cymbal." The same may be applied to Church members in 
general, in all their religious exercises ; nor can energy of 
voice, or bodily exertion compensate for the want of the 
Spirit. In true godliness there is both a form and a power. 
David seems to have understood this ; aud though he had the 
form, he had lost the power. This he desired to regain, that 
he might be qualified to do his duty in the Church of God. 
Hence his prayer : " Restore unto me the joy of Thy salva- 
tion." We notice, 

III. The prediction". "And sinners shall be con- 
verted unto Thee." This prediction calls our attention both 
to the nature of the predicted change, and to the certainty 
with which it follows a proper use of the appointed means. 



102 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

1. The nature of the predicted change. " Sinners shall be 
converted unto Thee." Conversion, in its simplest sense, is 
the change of a thing from one state to another ; but in a 
theological sense it means a change of moral character and 
condition. The term, conversion, is sometimes used in the 
sense of reformation — that kind of reformation which goes 
before pardon or justification. Peter uses it in this sense 
when he says, " Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that 
your sins may be blotted out." (Acts 3: 19.) It is also 
employed to denote recovery from a temporary lapse into sin. 
Thus, after Jesus had warned Peter of his approaching fall, 
he added, " but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail 
not : and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren." 
(Luke 22 : 32.) 

Conversion, in its largest theological sense, takes in the 
entire w T ork of saving grace; comprehending justification, 
regeneration, and adoption into the family of God. " The 
law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul." (Psa. 
19 : 7.) This is evidently the sense in which the term is used 
in the text. It means, in a word, conversion to God: 
11 Sinners shall be converted unto Thee." A man may be 
converted from one religion to another, as from Mohamme- 
danism to Christianity ; or from one creed to another, as 
from Calvinism to Arminianism, without realizing any 
change in his moral character ; but he who is converted to 
God has passed from spiritual death unto spiritual life ; being 
saved " by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the 
Holy Ghost." 



THE PENITENT BACKSLIDER. 103 

2. The certainty with which the conversion of sinners 
follows a proper use of the appointed means. Of this result 
the Psalmist seems to have entertained no doubt. " Sinners 
shall be converted unto Thee." God is infinitely wise, and 
knows the hearts of all men. He is also infinitely benevo- 
lent, and " is not willing that any should perish.' 7 It follows, 
therefore, that the plan which He devised for human recovery 
is the best that could have been adopted. In this plan, as 
revealed in the Bible, human agency occupies a conspicuous 
place. The Gospel must be preached in all the world, not 
by angels, but by men ; and though this treasure comes to 
us in earthen vessels, it is nevertheless " the power of God 
unto salvation " to all who receive it. He has declared, my 
word " shall not return unto me void ; but it shall accom- 
pli -h that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing 
whereto I send it." (Isa, 55 : 11.) But in connection with 
a consecrated ministry, and the preaching of the word, the 
visible, spiritual, and laboring Church of God is a saving 
power in the world, against which the gates of hell shall 
never prevail. 

Then let the heralds of the cross proclaim the Gospel^ 
"with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven;" and let 
the members of the Church make it their directory in all 
things ; and a glorious harvest of sinners converted to God 
must follow. The whitening fields are all around us ; " and 
he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life 
eternal." 



The Happy Man. 



" Blessed is the man that toalketh not in the counsel of the 
ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in 
the seat of the scornful, but his delight is in the law of the 
Lord, and in His law doth he meditate day and night. 
And lie shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, 
that bringtih forth his fruit in his season : his leaf also 
shall not wither-, mid whatsoever he doelh shall prosper" 
(Psa. 1 : 1-3.) 

The Book of Psalrus may be regarded as an epitome of 
revealed religion — a compendium of theology. It treats of 
creation, the dispensations of Providence, and the economy 
of redemption. It is, to some extent, a history of the 
Israelitic nation. It refers to their emancipation from 
Egyptian bondage, their journeyings through the wilderness, 
and their settlement in the promised land. It tells of their 
sins and captivities ; their repentings and restorations ; the 
conflicts, sufferings, and victories of David ; and the peaceful 
and prosperous reign of Solomon. 

This book is also largely predictive of the leading facts 
and events of the Gospel dispensation. It calls our attention 
to the advent of the Messiah, His passion and death, His 

104 



THE HAPPY MAN. 105 

resurrection and ascension, His priestly office, and the glory 
of His kingdom. It brings into view the affusion of the 
Holy Spirit, the conversion of the Gentiles, the establish- 
ment and perpetuity of the Christian Church, the general 
judgment, the condemnation of the wicked, and the final 
triumph and endless felicity of the righteous. 

In the formulas of this portion of the sacred canon the 
people of God have offered to Him their prayers and thanks- 
givings in the ages past, and still continue to do so. The 
very language in which Moses, and David, and Solomon, 
and Asaph, and other Old Testament saints worshipped Gocl, 
is now employed in Christian assemblies ; and will be, till 
time shall be no more. Throughout the book the contrast 
between the righteous and the wicked is kept prominently in 
view, and is presented in a great variety of aspects. Hence 
this first Psalm may be regarded as a fitting preface to the 
whole book. In the first three verses, which we have 
seleced as a text, we have a good man characterized, and his 
blessedness asserted. 

I. We have a good man cpiaeacterized. This is 
done in a three-fold manner ; negatively, positively, and 
figuratively. 

1. Negatively. He " walketh not in the counsel of the 
ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in 
the seat of the scornful." The terms ungodly, sinners, and 
scornful, which are here employed by the Psalmist, though 



106 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

applicable to those only who are unsaved by grace, are indic- 
ative of three different degrees of deprivation. 

To be ungodly is to be destitute of true godliness, or to be 
unlike God ; which, indeed, is the condition of all men, in 
an unregenerate state. " That which is born of the flesh is 
flesh. " We have 

" Sprung from the man whose guilty fall 
Corrupts his race, and taints us all." 

It is possible for ungodly persons to possess many amiable 
qualities. They may be highly educated, refined in their 
manners, honest and honorable in their business transactions, 
and unexceptionable in their moral conduct ; but if they are 
strangers to the power of regenerating grace, they are "with- 
out God in the world ; " and, consequently, ungodly. 

" The counsel of the ungodly " consists in the pernicious 
influence which they exert upon the world, in regard to the 
question of experimental religion, or vital godliness. This 
influence is exerted both by teaching and example. Some 
preach the doctrine, that however men may live in this 
world, a heaven of blessedness awaits them when they die. 
Others tell us, that even if sinners die unprepared to enter 
heaven, they may look for a probationary period beyond the 
grave, during which they may make their calling and elec- 
tion sure. These doctrines are virtually an exhortation to 
the unconverted to continue as they are, and to give them- 
selves no trouble respecting their future destiny. The 
strongest motives possible are employed in revealed religion, 
to move men to make an immediate and full surrender of 



THE HAPPY MAN. 107 

themselves to God. Any doctrine, therefore, which has a 
tendency to counteract these motives, or weaken their 
influence, is in conflict with the analogy of faith, and should 
be rejected. 

If the example of the ungodly could express itself in 
words, it would say something like this : To serve God is 
well enough in its place ; but it is a hard, self-denying, 
cross-bearing, and sorrowful life. It is therefore more con- 
tributive to human happiness to be free from all religious 
restraints, than to be under their control. Man's chief end 
is to gratify his carnal appetites and desires, and to gain 
riches, honors, popularity and power ; and if he becomes 
religious at all, let it be when he can no longer enjoy the 
pleasures of the world. Such is " the counsel of the 
ungodly." 

We understand the term sinners, as employed in the text, 
to be indicative of those who are willing and active trans- 
gressors of the laws of God. They are like men standing 
in the market place, waiting for some one to employ them. 
They are on their feet, and in the way, and listening for a 
call to do some evil work ; nor will Satan allow his willing 
subjects to be long idle, for he can always give them some- 
thing to do. 

The scornful are those who make a mock of sin, who laugh 
at sacred things, and at the judgments of God upon the 
wicked ; and w T ho scoff at religion and all who profess it. 
The Psalmist seems to have had in view, in the use of these 



108 GOSPEL TIDIXGS. 

several terms, that gradatory development of moral evil, 
which so frequently marks the history of those who remain 
unconverted. They begin life, as all men do, with a depraved 
and unholy nature. As the natural outgrowth of this orig- 
inal depravity, they become actual transgressors of the Divine 
law. Sins often repeated blunt their moral sensibilities, 
harden their hearts, and rivet upon them habits of vice; and 
thus they are gradually prepared to take their seat in the 
scorner's chair, and to look contemptuously on everything 
sacred and Divine. They can then say, "What is the Al- 
mighty, that we should serve Him? and what profit should 
we have, if we pray unto Him?" (Job. 21 :15.) This sad 
experience may be regarded as the climax of an ungodly life, 
and a self-secured preparation for eternal death. The right- 
eous, however, being free from all these moral evils, have 
no fear of so dreadful an end. 

2. We have a good man characterized positively. " His 
delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law doth he 
meditate day and night." 

(a.) " His delight is in the law of the Lord." The phrase, 
" law of the Lord," signifies an inspired statement of the will 
and purposes of God respecting mankind. It may be either 
used to designate a part of God's revelation to the world, as 
when we say, " The law was given by Moses ;" or applied to 
the whole volume of Divine truth ; for the Gospel is " the 
law of Christ," " the perfect law of liberty." We take the 
phrase in the latter sense, and assert, that the good man de- 
lights in the law of the Lord. 



THE HAPPY MAN. 109 

(1.) As a fund of interesting history. The Bible, as a 
repository of ancient history, cannot be too highly estimated. 
It reaches back to the remotest period of man's existence on 
the earth, and comes down through the successive ages, em- 
bracing more than four thousand years in the onward march 
of time. It is the only reliable history of the world for more 
than fifteen hundred years ; giving a rational account of the 
work of creation, the source of vegetable and animal life, the 
origin of man, and the cause of his fallen and sinful condi- 
tion. It is also historical of God's providential dealings with 
His moral creatures ; but above all, it is a history of the work 
of human redemption, through the mediation of our Lord 
Jesus Christ. It is not strange, therefore, that the good, the 
wise, the thoughtful man should delight " in the law of the 
Lord •" for it sheds a light upon the most interesting prob- 
lems of human life, which can be derived from no other 
source. " Thy word," said the Psalmist, " is a lamp unto my 
feet, and a light unto my path." (Psa. 119 : 105.) 

(2.) As a means of grace. The Psalmist gives us a very 
forcible representation of the reformatory and sanctifying in- 
fluence of Divine truth upon those who receive it. He says, 
" The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul ; the 
testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple ; the 
statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart ; the com- 
mandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes ; the 
fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever ; the judgments 
of the Lord are true and righteous altogether." (Psa. 19 : 



110 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

7-9.) St. Paul asserts that the Gospel of Christ " is the 
power of God unto salvation to every one that belie veth ;" 
(Roni. 1:16) and in writing to Timothy he says, " From a 
child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able 
to make thee wise unto salvation by faith which is in Christ 
Jesus." (2 Tim. 3 : 16.) 

When we speak of the law as being a means of grace, we 
do not intend to convey the idea, that by obedience to the 
laws of Moses, either ceremonial or moral, or both, a man 
can be justified before God ; for it is written, " By the deeds 
of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight." 
(Rom. 3 : 20.) The law derives all its saving influence from 
its connection with the plan of human redemption. It is 
"our schoolmaster (ircudayuyos) to bring us onto Christ ;" by 
whom alone we can be saved. 

(3.) As a rule of life. The law of God is not only ex- 
pressive of His will concerning our moral actions; but it 
requires a line of conduct which is both conducible to our 
temporal happiness, and absolutely necessary to our future 
bliss ; hence, to obey the Divine law is our highest interest. 
There is wisdom as well as piety manifested in the language 
of the Psalmist, when he says, " Teach me thy way, O Lord ; 
I will walk in Thy truth." (Psa. 86 : 11.) " Make me to 
go in the path of Thy commandments ; for therein do I de- 
light." (Psa. 119 : 35.) "I have sworn, and will perform 
it, that I will keep Thy righteous judgments." (Psa. 119 : 
106.) 



THE HAPPY MAX. Ill 

(6.) The laic of God is the subject of his meditation. " And 
in His law doth he meditate day and night." To meditate 
on any subject whatever, is to fix the mind upon it with in- 
tensity, to investigate it carefully, or to think of it persist- 
ently. There is, in all our waking hours, a continuous 
current of thought passing through the mind, over which 
volition has no control ; nevertheless we can select, at will, 
any question which may be suggested to us, as a theme of 
meditation. But if we can control our meditations, we are 
morally bound to choose such themes as will call off our af- 
fections from the sordid and perishing things of earth, and 
fix them on things which are heavenly and Divine. The only 
way to reach this end is, to make the revealed will of God 
the book of our study, and its sacred teachings the themes of 
our prayerful meditation. The Psalmist says, " I will medi- 
tate in Thy precepts, and have respect unto all Thy ways :" 
" O how I love Thy law ! it is my meditation all the day :" 
" Mine eyes prevent the night-watches, that I might meditate 
in Thy word." (Psa. 119 : 15, 97, 148.) 

3. We have a good man characterized figuratively. "He 
shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bring- 
eth forth his fruit in his season : his leaf also shall not wither ; 
and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper." This is a most 
beautiful and impressive illustration, taken from the vegetable 
kingdom ; and, as here presented by the Psalmist, is emi- 
nently descriptive of the religious character of a pious man. 
The tree to which he is compared is spoken of, 



112 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

(1.) As being a cultivated one. It was "planted," or 
transplanted ; not wild, not a volunteer. This fact aptly calls 
our attention to the necessity of moral culture, in order that 
men may be brought into a state of grace. " Except a man 
be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 
3 : 3.) " That which is born of the flesh is flesh ; and that," 
and that only, " which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel 
not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again." (John 
3 : 6, 7.) 

(2.) -4s planted in a most favorable situation. " Planted 
by the rivers of water." There seems to be, in this language, 
an allusion to a place where large waters meet. The Psalm- 
ist does not say, a river of water, but " rivers of water." In 
such a place the soil is usually in the highest degree, rich, 
deep, moist and warm, affording everything necessary to a 
rapid and healthful vegetation. In like manner, God gathers 
His children into His Church — the best place this side of 
heaven, where they are put in possession of every means 
necessary to their moral development ; and where they may 
become, in the language of the prophet, " Trees of Righteous- 
ness, The Planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified." 
(Isa. 61:3.) 

(3.) As a fruit bearing and fruitful tree. " That brfhgeth 
forth his fruit in his season." The idea intended is 
that it bears regularly its annual crop, and never disappoints 
the expectation of the owner. The fruit which the good man 
bears is seen in his moral and religious life ; which, in order 



THE HAPPY MAN. 113 

that it be good, must be in accord with the revealed will of 
God. In nature, the fruit of the tree is produced periodically, 
and is looked for only in its proper season ; but the fruit of 
the pious man must be borne continuously. " The tree is 
known by his fruit." Jesus says, " He that abideth in me, 
and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit ; for with- 
out me ye can do nothing — Herein is my Father glorified, 
that ye bear much fruit ; so shall ye be my disciples." (John 
15:5, 8.) 

(4.) As an evergreen tree. " His leaf also shall not 
wither." It is a tree which is unaffected by changing seasons ; 
the verdure and beauty of which continue through the chill- 
ing storms of winter, as well as under the genial showers and 
sunshine of summer. This figurative representation of moral 
qualities is expressive of that stability of mind, uniformity 
of life, patient endurance, and unhesitating perseverance in 
welldoing, which are essential to true piety. " The right- 
eous shall flourish like a palm tree ; he shall grow like a cedar 
in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the house of the 
Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall 
still bring forth fruit in old age ; they shall be fat and flourish- 
ing." (Psa. 92 : 12, 14.) 

II. We have a good man's happiness asserted. 
" Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the 
ungodly, nor stancleth in the way of sinners," etc. He who 
makes the law of God the rule of his inward and outward 
life is a blessed or happy man, because 



114 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

1. He lias r peace with God. "I will hear what God the 
Lord will speak : for He will speak peace unto His people, 
and to His saints/' (Psa. 85 : 8.) " Great peace have they 
who love Thy law ; and nothing shall offend them." (Psa. 
119 : 165.) Jesus said to His disciples, " Peace I leave with 
you, My peace I give unto you." (John 14 : 27.) " Being 
justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord 
Jesus Christ." (Pom. 5:1.) 

2. Because he enjoy* in the highest possible degree the tem- 
poral blessings of Divine Providence. Men are so constituted as 
to derive much of their enjoyment from sensation, their organs 
of sense being so many mediums to convey pleasurable feel- 
ings to the mind. This kind of enjoyment is common to all 
men, irrespective of moral character ; but in the case of the 
righteous, pleasures of sense are always associated with such 
moral principles as love and gratitude to God, and an approv- 
ing conscience. This fact wonderfully augments the sum of 
human happiness, and qualifies men to enjoy the present life, 
as the ungodly never can. " What shall I render unto the 
Lord for all His benefits towards me ? " (Psa. 116 : 12.) 

3. Because he is a man of prosperity. " Whatsoever he 
doeth shall prosper." Hardly any fact in our experience 
contributes more to our earthly comfort, than success in our 
lawful undertakings. This, according to the particular 
providence of God, the good man may expect ; but whether 
he is, or is not successful in temporal pursuits, he may most 
certainly be prosperous in spiritual matters ; for here pros- 



THE HAPPY MAN. 115 

perity is within the reach of all. " Pray for the peace of 
Jerusalem : they shall prosper that love thee." (Psa. 122 : 6.) 
4. Because he lives in hope of a home in heaven. This is 
beautifully presented by St. Peter, when he says, " Blessed 
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who accord- 
ing to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a 
lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead 
to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth 
not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the 
power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be 
revealed in the last time." (I. Peter 1 : 3-5.) 



Resurrection of Christ. 



"But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first 
fruits of them that slept" (L Cor. 15 : 20.) 

The sacrificial death of Jesus Christ, and His resurrection 
from the dead, are the two grand pillars of the temple of 
Christianity. " He died for our sins, and rose again for our 
justification." The latter event — the resurrection of Jesus 
Christ, is an essential link in that mysterious chain of redeem- 
ing acts, by which our fallen world has been bound to the 
throne of God. Its importance in the economy of human 
redemption is so great, that St. Paul asserts, " If Christ be 
not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also 
vain." (I. Cor. 15 : 14.) It is necessary, therefore, that this 
fact should be established beyond the shadow of a doubt. 

The apostle's leading theme, in this chapter, is the general 
resurrection of mankind at the end of the world. He calls 
attention to its certainty, and, to some extent, dwells upon 
its nature and attendant circumstances. He argues that the 
resurrection of man at the last day is inseperably connected 
with that of our Lord, the latter implying the former ; " For 
as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made 
alive." He therefore says, " If Christ be preached that He 

116 



RESURRECTION OF CHRIST. 117 

rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no 
resurrection of the dead ! But if there be no resurrection of 
the dead, then is Christ not risen." 

The apostle does not attempt to prove, in this connection, 
that Christ did actually rise from the dead, but assuming it 
as an established fact, he says, " Now is Christ risen from 
the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept." 
We have before us, therefore, as the theme of our discourse, 
the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. We will con- 
sider it, 

I. As A subject of prophecy. The facts recorded in 
the New Testament Scriptures in regard to our blessed Lord 
are largely fulfillments of previous predictions. His incar- 
nation, the manner of His advent to earth, the offices with 
which He was invested, the tragedy of His death, His burial 
in the earth, were all clearly predicted ; and so was His 
victory over death. 

The royal Psalmist, fixing his prophetic eye upon the 
promised Messiah, and, at the same time, personating Him, 
made the following prediction : " Thou wilt not leave my 
soul in hell (sheol or hades)-, neither wilt Thou suffer Thine 
Holy One to see corruption. Thou wilt show me the path of 
life." (Psa. 16 : 10, 11.) For applying this prediction to 
our Lord's resurrection, we have the authority of St. Peter ; 
who asserts, that David, in this passage, " spoke of the resur- 
rection of Christ." (Acts 2 : 31.) 



118 GOSPEL TIDIXGS. 

But our Lord, on several occasions, predicted His own 
resurrection. At one time, when He undertook to correct 
certain abuses of the temple, the unbelieving Jews said to 
Him, "What sign showest thou unto us, seeing thou doest 
these things? " To which He replied, " Destroy this temple/' 
meaning His own body, " and in three days I will raise it 
up." (John 2: 19.) At another time, He, with Peter, 
James, and John, was coming down from the mount of 
transfiguration ; and He said to them, " Tell the vision to 
no man, until the Son of Man be risen from the dead." 
(Matt. 17: 9.) Again, He said to the disciples, "The Son 
of Man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall 
kill Him ; and after that He is killed, He shall rise the third 
day.'' (Mark 9 : 31.) We will consider the subject, 

II. As A PACT of history. "Now is Christ risen 
from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that 
slept." In calling attention to the resurrection of Christ as 
a historical fact, it will be proper to inquire into the reality 
of His death ; for if He did not really die, He could not 
really rise from the dead. This inquiry is the more neces-ary, 
because some have called in question the reality of His 
death ; claiming it to have been nothing more than a case of 
swooning, or of suspended animation. But if the simple 
story of the crucifixion, in connection with its attendant 
circumstances, does not prove beyond a reasonable doubt, the 
verity of the Saviour's death, we may well despair of estab- 
lishing any fact by human testimony. We remark, 



RESURRECTION OF CHRIST. 119 

1. That the enemies of our Lord, who so clamorously 
demanded His crucifixion, doubtless intended that He should 
be put to death ; for when Pilate declared himself to be 
innocent of His blood, they all cried out, " His blood be on 
us, and on our children." (Matt. 27 : 25.) Xow, as Pilate 
delivered Him into their hands to be crucified, what can be 
more absurd than to suppose that they failed to execute the 
sentence ? 

2. That His actual death is a matter of sacred record. 
The historian tells us that, about the ninth hour of the day 
on which Jesus was crucified, " He cried with a loud voice, 
and gave up the ghost." (Mark 15 : 37.) This awfully 
solemn event must have attracted general attention, accom- 
panied as it was by miraculous phenomena ; for, " behold, 
the veil of the Temple was rent in'twain from the top to the 
bottom ; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent." 

3. That Jesus died upon the cross, was believed by His 
enemies, as well as by His friends. The soldiers appointed 
to hasten the death of the sufferers, by breaking their legs, 
had no doubt of His death ; for though they broke the legs 
of the two malefactors crucified with Him, they did not 
break the legs of Jesus. Why not? Because, when they 
came to Him, they saw He was dead. But to make assur- 
ance doubly sure, " one of the soldiers with a spear pierced 
His side, and forthwith came there out blood and water." 

The centurion who superintended the execution also 
believed that Christ died upon the cross, for so he reported 



120 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

to Pilate ; and it is evident that Pilate believed the centurion's 
report, for he made it the ground of his official action, in 
giving the body of our Lord to Joseph of Arirnathea for 
burial ; who, assisted by Xicodemas, prepared it for inter- 
ment according to the custom of the Jews, and laid it in his 
own new tomb which he had hewed out of a rock, and rolled 
a great stone to the door of the sepulchre." With men of 
common sense and moral honesty these historical facts should 
have put an end to all doubting, in regard to the reality of 
our Lord's death. 

The chief priests and elders, however, were still in a state 
of unrest. They remembered that Jesus had declared, while 
yet alive, that He would rise from the dead the third day ; 
and, fearing that his disciples might come by night and steal 
the body, and then report that he had risen from the dead, 
they requested Pilate to have the sepulchre well guarded 
till after the third day. To this Pilate replied, "Ye have a 
watch, go your way, make it as sure as ye can." Accord- 
ingly they made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and 
setting a watch ; thus making it absolutely impossible that 
the body of Christ could be removed from the tomb by 
human agency, without the knowledge of the guard. 

But on the morning of the third day, notwithstanding all 
the precautions of the Jewish rulers, the body of Christ was 
missing • and in a state of death it was never afterward seen 
by any one. On this ques.ion there is no dispute. All who 
visited the tomb could see for themselves that the body of 



RESURRECTION OF CHRIST. 121 

Christ was not there. How then, was this mysterious fact 
accounted for ? Two different reports were put into circula- 
tion ; that of the soldiers who guarded the tomb, and the 
account given by the disciples. We will notice, 

1. The report of the soldiers. At an early hour on the 
morning of the third day, " some of the watchmen came 
into the city, and showed unto the chief priests all the 
things that were done. And when they were assembled with 
the elders, and had taken counsel," they bribed the soldiers 
by a large sum of money and a promise of protection from 
all penal consequences, to say of the body of Christ, His 
disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept. 
Hence this became the common report among the unbelieving 
JeAVS. 

We can conceive how prejudice and self-interest may have 
inclined the ignorant and unthinking to believe this story ; 
for some can believe almost any proposition which they wish 
to be true ; but it is incredible that intelligent and shrewd 
men, such as the chief priests and elders generally were, 
-could believe and honestly circulate a story which, like this, 
•carries with it its own refutation. 

It is here assumed, First, That the body of Christ was 
stolen from the sepulchre by His disciples. But that a few 
timid men and women, unarmed, and disheartened by the 
death of their leader, would undertake to rob a grave, which 
was guarded by a band of Roman soldiers expressly 
appointed to prevent robbery, is what no sane man can sup- 
pose possible. 



122 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

It is assumed, Secondly, That the stealing was committed 
while the soldiers were asleep. Now, that a band of Roman 
soldiers appointed as a watch, and in a case of so much 
interest as the one we are considering, should all be asleep at 
the same moment, is extremely improbable. But when we 
add the fact, that a Roman sentinel by sleeping at his post, 
forfeited his life, it may be regarded impossible. 

Were we to admit, however, that the soldiers had all 
fallen asleep at the same time, and that, while they slept, the 
body of Christ was removed ; what would their testimony 
prove ? It could only prove, if it proved anything at all, 
that in regard to the resurrection of Christ from the dead, 
and the removal of His body from the tomb, they had no 
knowledge whatever. Hence we have no evidence that the 
body of Christ was stolen from the sepulchre, either by His 
disciples or by any other party. 

It is evident that the report which the soldiers published 
was formulated by the Jewish rulers ; and yet, there are 
facts which strongly indicate, that they themselves did not 
believe it. One fact is, that they made no eifort to find the 
body. Even if it had been stolen, it could not have been 
successfully concealed ; and the rulers doubtless knew, that to 
produce the body of our Lord would be a triumphant refu- 
tation of His resurrection. Why, then, did they not institute 
a legal search for the recovery of the body ? or why did 
they not prosecute the disciples for stealing it ? Only one 
valid reason can be given — they did not believe their own 



RESURRECTION OF CHRIST. 123 

report. Another fact which teaches the same lesson is, that 
in all the legal proceedings against the disciples, for preach- 
ing Christ as the risen Messiah, the Jewish authorities never 
adverted to the report of the soldiers. Peter and John were 
first brought before the great council, then the whole body of 
the apostles twice. On all these occasions they affirmed 
the resurrection of Christ before the very men who had 
originated the story of the disciples having stolen away His 
body ; but in none of these instances did the rulers oppose 
the report of the soldiers to the explicit testimony of the 
disciples, or bring forward even one of the guard, to dis- 
prove what they asserted. 

Having considered the report of the soldiers, and, as we 
think, having shown its absurdity, we ask attention, 

2. To the report of the disciples of our Lord. St. Matthew 
says, " In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn 
toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and 
the other Mary, to see the sepulchre ; and, behold, there 
was a great earthquake : for the angel of the Lord descended 
from heaven, and rolled back the stone from the door, and 
sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his 
raiment white as snow : and for fear of him the keepers did 
shake, and became as dead men. And the angel said unto 
the women, fear not ye : for I know ye seek Jesus, which 
was crucified. He is not here ; for He is risen, as He said. 
Come, see the place where the Lord lay." (Matt. 28 : 1-6.) 



124 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

The four evangelists, in recording the facts connected with 
the resurrection of our Lord, differed from one another in a 
few unimportant details, showing that each one of them 
wrote independent of the others ; but among them there is 
no contradiction whatever — a fact which strongly indicates 
the truthfulness of their statements. 

In calling attention to the resurrection of Christ as a his- 
torical fact, we think it proper, in the first place, to express 
a few remarks in regard to the nature of this wonderful 
change. The term itself, in its theological application, indi- 
cates the reunion of those elements of personal life, which 
had been dissolved by death. A resurrection, therefore, is 
not a new creation, either in whole or in part, but simply a 
substantial change in the mode of existence — the person risen 
from the dead being the identical person that had previously 
died — the same soul miraculously reunited to the same body. 

The inability of the Jewish rulers to produce the body of 
our Lord, or to give any rational account of what had been 
done with it, is, in itself, a strong presumptive proof of His 
resurrection. He had been in their possession from the time 
of His arrest in Gethsemane, until the morning of the third 
day after his crucifixion ; they had employed all possible 
means to prevent the removal of the body by His friends, 
but it was nevertheless removed; and if the story of the 
disciples be rejected, the event is perfectly insolvable. But 
believing as we do, in the creditability and Divine inspiration 
of the apostles — facts susceptible of the clearest proof, we 



RESURRECTION OF CHRIST. 125 

take their report as the ground of our faith in the resurrec- 
tion of Christ ; believing that, as surely as He died, so 
surely did He rise from the dead. 

There are put on record not less than eleven different 
appearances of our Lord to his disciples, during the forty days 
which intervened between His resurrection and ascension to 
heaven ; five of which took place on the day He rose from 
the dead. He appeared, First, To Mary Magdalene, while 
alone, and near the sepulchre weeping ; Second, To the 
other women who had accompanied her in her early visit to 
the tomb, while on their way to announce His resurrection to 
the disciples ; Third, To Peter, as stated by St. Paul • 
Fourth, To Cleopas and his companion on their way to 
Emmaus ; and, Fifth, In the evening of the same day, to 
ten of the apostles, Thomas being absent. Eight days after 
His resurrection He appeared to all the apostles, when 
Thomas acknowledged Him as his Lord ; and afterward, to 
seven of them at the sea of Tiberias. They all saw Him at 
their grand reunion on a mountain in Galilee, where, as some 
think, "He was seen of above five hundred brethren at 
once ; " and the apostles all saw Him, when, from Bethany, 
He ascended to heaven. Thus, as St. Luke says, " He 
showed Himself alive after His passion by many infallible 
proofs. " 

The account of our Lord's resurrection, as given by His 
disciples, is in perfect harmony with the history of His life. 
We admit that for Christ to rise from the dead, was a 



126 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

miracle in the highest sense of the term ; but it was no more 
miraculous, than for Him to raise Lazarus, the widow's son, 
and the daughter of Jairus. If we allow the miracles 
wrought by Him during His life, which even his enemies did 
not dare to deny, why should we not receive the evaDgelical 
account of His resurrection ? 

We do not claim that the apostles of our Lord saw Him 
rise from the dead. The earthquake, the descent of the 
angel, the rolling back of the stone, the keepers becoming as 
dead men, and His actual resurrection had all taken place 
before any of them reached the sepulchre. How they 
gained a knowledge of these events we cannot tell ; but there 
are two facts which, if taken together, prove the credibility 
of their report. One is, that they could not be mistaken in 
recognizing the risen Christ as their Lord and Master. 
They had been with Him several years, and knew Him as 
perfectly as one man can know another ; and the evidence of 
His identity was so convincing, that even doubting Thomas 
was constrained to exclaim, " My Lord and my God ! " The 
other fact is that their report carries with it the endorsement 
of God, in the gift of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said to the 
apostles, " Behold, I send the promise of my Father upon 
you : but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be 
endued with power from on high." That power came upon 
them on the day of Pentecost, when three thousand were 
converted in a single day. 



The Perfect Law of Liberty. 



u Whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth 
therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the 
work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. (Jas. 1 : 25.) 

It was said by a celebrated writer, that " nothing is more 
common than for men, under the plansable pretext of avoid- 
ing one extreme, to run into another equally as great." 
This remark, the truthfulness of which may be established 
by the history of the world, has an extensive application ; 
but to no department of human pursuit does it apply more 
fully, than to the opinions which men form in answer to that 
infinitely momentous question, " What must I do to be 
saved ? " 

From the Scriptural doctrine that a a man is justified by 
faith without the deeds of the law," some have drawn the 
conclusion that believers in Christ, under the Gospel dispen- 
sation, are released from the claims of the moral law ; and 
that their salvation can neither be promoted by obedience, 
nor prevented by disobedience. Others entertain the opinion 
that, as Christ " became the Author of eternal salvation to 
all who obey Him/' eternal life is conditioned upon obedience 
to the moral law, and is, therefore, the reward of good 

127 



128 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

works. By these extremes men separate what God has 
joined together — true faith and holy obedience ; and, by so 
doing, they subvert the religion of Christ. 

It is a glorious truth, and one in which all men should 
rejoice, that we are justified by faith, and not by works; but 
it is equally true, that the faith by which justification is 
obtained leads to the obedience of God's holy law. It is a 
" faith which works by love." Hence the inspired apostle 
says, ""Whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and 
continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a 
doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed." 

By the phrase, " perfect law of liberty," we are doubtless 
to understand the Gospel of Christ ; which, in this connec- 
tion, is also called " the word of truth," and the " engrafted 
word." We will therefore regard the text, First, As being 
descriptive of the Gospel ; Second, As being expressive of 
the use which we should make of it ; and Third, As being 
predictive of the happiness of those who receive and obey it. 

I. The text is descriptive of the Gospel. "A 
perfect law of liberty." Here we are taught, 

1. That the Gospel is a law. The term law is often 
used to designate some principle or natural force, by which 
certain changes or effects are produced in physical objects. 
Hence we speak of the law of gravitation, of the laws of 
light, of the laws of motion ; and we designate, by the same 
term, the principles according to which certain processes in 
the vegetable and the animal kingdom are regulated. When 



THE PERFECT LAW OF LIBERTY. 129 

the terra is thus employed, it is used iu a figurative or meta- 
phorical sense ; but in a strict and proper sense it means an 
authoritative rule of duty. All law, in this sense, is either 
human or Divine. Human law consists in the legislative 
enactments of a State or iSation, for the government of its 
subjects. Divine law is the revealed will of God, for the 
moral government of the entire family of man. 

The Mosaic economy is sometimes designated by the term 
law, to distinguish it from the Gospel dispensation ; as, 
" The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came 
by Jesus Christ." (John 1 : 17.) This does not prove, 
however, that the term is inapplicable to the Xew Testament 
Scriptures ; for St. Paul says, " Do we then make void the 
law through faith? God forbid : yea, we establish the law." 
(Rom. 3 : 31.) He informs us, moreover, that we are "not 
without law to God, but under the law to Christ." (I. Cor. 
9 : 21.) The Gospel is therefore a law ; and it is so denom- 
inated, because it involves all the essential elements of law. 

(1.) It implies proper authority. It is this which gives to 
law its compelling power. Hence it is, that the laws of a 
State, to have a binding influence upon its citizens, must be 
both constitutional in themselves, and the enactments of a 
legally constituted legislature. This element of law, proper 
authority, belongs to the Gospel in its highest degree ; for it 
is the revealed will of God, whose " kingdom ruleth over 
all." He "who at sundry times and in divers manners 
spake in times past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in 



130 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

these last days spoken unto us by His Son." (Heb. 1 : 1, 2.) 
St. Paul, in writing to the Thessalonians respecting the 
manner in which they had received the Gospel, says, " Ye 
received it not as the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the 
word of God." (I. Thess. 2 : 13.) He, therefore, who rejects 
the Gospel of Christ is guilty of rebellion against God, and 
of contemptuously turning " away from Him that speaketh 
from heaven." 

(2.) Law is a rule of life, for the government of rational 
and moral creatures. It is addressed to those only who have 
a perception of moral distinctions, are capable of self-control, 
and are held accountable to some tribunal for their voluntary 
actions. All good and wholesome laws are based upon the 
principle of right. The enactment of a law cannot make it 
right, if it is not right in itself. 

The Decalogue of the Old Testament, which God wrote 
upon tablets of stone, and gave to Moses on Mount Sinai, is 
an epitome of the fundamental principles of all just laws in 
regard to human duty. Not only are all these principles 
embodied in the Christian code, but it is an amplification of 
the moral law as given to Moses, in regard both to the 
number of its specific duties, and the particularity with which 
they are defined. The Gospel must therefore be regarded as 
the fullest and most complete revelation of moral laws ever 
given to man, and as the infallible rule of our faith and 
practice. 



THE PERFECT LAW OF LIBERTY. 131 

(3.) Law requires 'promulgation. Laws enacted by any 
legislative body must be legally made known, before they can 
be justly binding upon those for whose government they are 
created. Hence it is that, in every well ordered State, the 
laws are both carefully recorded and duly promulgated. This 
is eminently true in regard to the laws of Christ's kingdom. 
They are recorded in a book by the unerring pen of Divine 
inspiration ; which book it is made the duty of every one to 
examine. Jesus says, " Search the Scriptures ; for in them 
ye think ye have eternal life ; and they are they which testify 
of me." (John 5 : 39.) But these laws are also promul- 
gated by a living and ordained ministry, whose calling and 
duty it is to proclaim the Gospel to all men. Their heaven 
endorsed commission is this : " Go ye into all the world, and 
preach the Gospel to every creature." (Mark 16:16.) 

(4.) Law requires suitable sanctions. A law which is not 
accompanied by some motive or consideration to give it force 
is, in effect, no law at all. It may be regarded, if right in 
itself, as good advice ; but law in the proper sense of that 
term, it cannot be. Human laws are enforced by penal sanc- 
tions, Avhich are addressed to the passion of fear, and relate 
only to the present life ; but far more solemn and impressive 
to a thoughtful mind are the motives of the Gospel. It 
makes its appeal both to human fear and human hope. It 
draws its arguments from time and eternity — from heaven, 
earth and hell, to enforce its righteous claims upon us. It 
calls our attention to the unspeakable advantages of piety on 



132 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

the one hand, and to the dreadful consequences of sin on the 
other ; thus knocking at the door of every sinner's heart. 
Jesus says, " He that believeth, and is baptized, shall be 
saved. He that believeth not, shall be damned." (Mark 
16:16.) " He that believeth in the Son hath everlasting life ; 
and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life ; but the 
wrath of God abideth on him." (John 3 : 36.) 

2. The Gospel is a perfect law. Perfection may be pre- 
dicated of the Gospel because, 

(1.) It is the complement of God's revealed will to our loorld. 
The history of Divine revelation in regard to the work of 
man's redemption, is both interesting and instructive. This 
revelation had its beginning in a single Divine promise ; 
which, though it was like a glimmering star in a dark and 
distant sky, was to the fallen and guilty pair a sufficient 
ground of hope, that in due time a Deliverer would come into 
the world, who should bruise the serpent's head. Around 
this nucleus of Divine truth other revelations were gathered, 
during the patriarchal and the Mosaic dispensations ; until 
the world possessed a large volume of inspired literature, re- 
vealing to man the redeeming purposes of God. 

These Old Testament Scriptures are, in themselves, an 
invaluable treasure of historical and religious knowledge ; 
but though they were largely predictive of the Gospel dispen- 
sation, and were " able to make men wise unto salvation 
through faith in " the promised Messiah, yet, as they were 
given to the world prior to the Christian era, they could not, 



THE PERFECT LAW OF LIBERTY. 133 

in the nature of things, be historical of Christ and His re- 
deeming work. This deficiency, however, is fully supplied 
by the Scriptures of the New Testament ; and thus the Gospel 
becomes the complement of the revealed will of God, and per- 
fective of the sacred canon. 

(2.) The Gospel is a perfect law, because it brings to light 
the perfected system of human recovery ; which in Mosaic times, 
was prefigured by types and shadows. Indeed, the whole 
Jewish economy, aside from its moral code as contained in 
the Decalogue, was a typical system, predictive of what man- 
kind should realize under the Gospel dispensation. It was 
a kind of architectural drawing of the great Christian Tem- 
ple, which is " built upon the foundation of the apostles and 
prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone." 
The Jewish high priests were typical of the " High Priest of 
our profession, Christ Jesus;" and the blood which was offered 
upon Jewish altars was typical of the blood which Jesus shed 
upon the cross of Calvary for the redemption of the world. 
It is only by the light of the Gospel, however, that the im- 
port and design of the various Jewish types can be fully com- 
prehended. 

(3.) The Gospel is a perfect law, because it needs no alter- 
ation or amendment. This cannot be predicated of human 
law. A State may adopt a constitution with which the citi- 
zens are at first perfectly satisfied ; but after years of exper- 
ience and changes of circumstances it may be seen, that the 
good of the Commonwealth requires some change. Hence 



134 GOSPEL TIDIXGS. 

every such constitution makes provision for its own amend- 
ment. In like manner, the legislature of a State may enact a 
law, believing it to be right and good ; but time proves it to 
be injurious, and that it ought to be repealed or amended. 

In contrast with the imperfection of human legislation we 
find in the Gospel a complete code of moral law, which re- 
quires no change or modification, no addition, no repeal ; and 
which may be safely applied to all men, in every age and 
clime, and under every form of civil government. Nearly 
eighteen hundred years have passed away, since the Gospel 
was first proclaimed as the law of Christ's kingdom ; and 
though it has been scrutinized by friends, and criticised by 
enemies, it remains the same, proving by its intrinsic char- 
acter, and its adaptation to the moral condition of man, that 
it is a revelation from God, who sees " the end from the be- 
ginning." "Well did Peter say " The word of the Lord en- 
dureth forever ; and this is the word which by the Gospel is 
preached unto you." (1. Pet. 1 : 25.) 

(4.) The Gospel is a perfect law, because it tends to the 
moral perfection of its subjects. We do not claim that it is 
possible for fallen man to attain to angelic or Adamic per- 
fection in this life ; nevertheless, there is a state of maturity 
in Christian experience — a certain rounding out of Christian 
character, which the sacred writers call perfection ; and which 
they believed to be attainable. Hence the apostolic exhorta- 
tion, "Leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us 
go on unto perfection." (Heb. 6:1.) To raise men to this 



THE PERFECT LAW OF LIBERTY. 135 

state of moral elevation is obviously the design and tendency 
of the Gospel. St. Paul asserts, " All Scripture is given by 
inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, 
for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man 
of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good 
works." (II. Tim. 3:16, 17.) 

Human law has nothing to do with men's private charac- 
ter, but is applicable alone to their overt acts. It is there- 
fore possible for a man to be a law-abiding citizen, and, at 
the same time, an ungodly sinner. But the law of God " is 
exceeding broad/' extending to the passions, motives, and 
moral feelings of men, as well as to their outward conduct. 
Accordingly, the Gospel plan of governing and saving men 
is to purify the heart — the fountain-head of moral action, in 
order that the life may be pure. Jesus says, "A good man 
out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good 
things." (Matt, 12 : 35.) 

3. The Gospel is a law of liberty. Some seem to think 
that law and liberty are antagonistic ; but this is so far from 
being true, that there can be no real liberty without law. 
There are certain natural rights which justly belong to every 
human being individually ; but in forming a social compact 
of any kind, there must be a compromise of these individual 
rights, in order to secure the good of the whole. This 
implies the necessity of law ; without which true liberty can 
be neither realized nor perpetuated. The Gospel may be 
called a law of liberty, because, 



136 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

(1.) It contains the fundamental principles of civil 
liberty. If we can find a State whose laws are both in agree- 
ment with the teachings of the Gospel and faithfully exe- 
cuted, we will find a political organization in which civil 
liberty is realized, in its highest degree. God, the Supreme 
Ruler of the world, has given to man a revelation of His 
will — a standard of truth and right ; in which are included 
all the essential elements of good government, whether 
political or moral. Human governments, acting under this 
great charter, can justly claim Divine authority ; " For there 
is no power but of God : the powers that be are ordained of 
God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the 
ordinance of God." (Rom. 13 : 1, 2.) 

It is not to be forgotten, however, that though human 
government is of Divine authority, it may nevertheless be 
prostituted to selfish and wicked purposes. Legislators may 
enact " unrighteous decrees," and executives may neglect or 
refuse to do their duty, on account of which the common- 
wealth may suffer ; but when all legislation is in harmony 
with the laws of God, and duly enforced, liberty, peace, and 
prosperity must abound. " "When the righteous are in 
authority, the people rejoice." (Prov. 29 : 2.) 

(2.) The Gospel is a law of liberty, because it frees us from 
the yoke of Jewish ceremonies. The manner in which the 
Jewish people worshipped God was doubtless, for the time 
being, the best that could have been adopted ; for the whole 
sacrificial system was devised by Infinite Wisdom. But it 



THE PERFECT LAW OF LIBERTY. 137 

Is nevertheless true, that the expenditure which it required 
in time, in labor, and in the pecuniary value of its offerings, 
inclined them to regard it as a burden. Accordingly, Peter 
•calls it " a yoke" which the people were not able to bear. 

But now, the typical economy of the Mosaic dispensation 
lias had its fulfillment in Christ, the Antitype ; and the com- 
parative darkness of that dispensation has been dissipated by 
the shining of " the true Light." Hence, the Gospel 
announces to all men, without exception, the privilege of 
•access to God, " by a new and living way ; " and proposes a 
mode of worship, which not only frees men from the claims 
of the ceremonial law, but is at once simple, rational, and 
.spiritual ; and with which all may easily comply. " Stand 
fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us 
free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." 
{Gal. 5:1.) 

(3.) The Gospel is a laiv of liberty, because it is the means 
by which men are saved from the bondage oj sin. The Scrip- 
tures represent the unconverted as being in a state of spirit- 
ual bondage. They are slaves to sinful lusts, vicious habits, 
and tormenting fears ; and so strong are the bonds by which 
they are held, that " when " they " would do good, evil is 
present with " them. But it is a consoling fact, that even in 
his lost condition they are not beyond the saving influence of 
the Gospel. 

The benevolent end of the Gospel ministry was clearly 
indicated by our Lord, when He commissioned Saul of Tar- 
sus to proclaim the word to both Jews and Gentiles ; saying, 



138 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

" I send thee, to open their eyes, and to turn them from 
darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, 
that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance 
among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me." (Acts 
26 : 17, 18.) St. Paul, after preaching the Gospel for a time, 
and witnessing its saving effects upon those who received it, 
declared it to be " the power of God unto salvation to every 
one that believeth." (Rom. 1 : 16.) And Peter speaks of 
believers as " being born again, not of corruptible seed, but 
of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and 
abideth forever." (I. Peter 1 : 23.) 

(4.) The Gospel is a law of liberty, because it promises liberty 
from the dominion of temporal death. Many heathens have 
believed in the immortality of the human soul ; but heathen- 
dom has never entertained a hope that the body will ever be 
raised from a state of death. The doctrine of the resurrec- 
tion is purely a doctrine of revealed religion. Reason can- 
not teach it ; or rather, to the eye of reason it appears to be 
incredible. When, therefore, it is proposed to those who 
have no other light, it is usually rejected. When St. Paul 
preached " Jesus and the resurrection " to the Athenian phil- 
osophers, they contemptuously called him a " babbler," and 
and said, " Thou bringest certain strange things to our ears." 

It might be shown that the resurrection of the body is 
taught in 1 he Old Testament Scriptures ; but it is to the 
Gospel that we are particularly indebted, for clear and satis- 
factory views upon this interesting question. Jesus says, 



THE PERFECT LAW OF LIBERTY. 139 

" All that are in the graves shall hear His voice, and shall 
come forth." (John 5 : 28, 29.) Again ; " This is the 
Father's will which hath sent me, That of all which He hath 
given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again 
at the last day." (John 6:39.) St, Paul says, "As in 
Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." (I. 
Cor. 15 : 22.) Aud again ; " He which raised up the Lord 
Jesus, shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us 
with you." (II. Cor. 1 : 14.) 

II. We will employ the text as calling our 

ATTENTION TO THE USE WHICH WE SHOULD MAKE OF THE 

Gospel. This is suggested by the language, " Whoso look- 
eth into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, 
he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work." 
Here we learn, 

1. Thai we should make the Gospel a subject of thorough 
investigation. " Whoso looketh into the perfect law." The 
word, TTapaKv-Tu, which is here rendered looketh into, means to 
bend forward or stoop down toward an object, in order to 
examine it critically. It implies an intensity of desire to 
comprehend the subject of investigation, and thus shows us 
how Ave should treat the Gospel. 

There is no other question so worthy the undivided atten- 
tion of man, as the one proposed to Paul and Silas, by the 
Philippian jailer ; " Sirs, what must I do to be saved ? " 
It is only in the revealed will of God, and particularly in 
the teachings of the Gospel, that this question is fully 



140 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

answered. Hence our Lord says, " Search the Scriptures ; 
for in thein ye think ye have eternal life : and they are they 
which testify of rue." (John 5 : 39.) It is recorded, to the 
praise of the Bereans, that when the Gospel was preached to 
them, they " searched the Scriptures daily, whether those 
things were so." (Acts 17:11.) St. Peter informs us that 
the redeeming work of Christ, and its glorious results, are 
events which " the angels desire to look into ; " but if those 
holy beings, who never felt the need of redeeming grace, 
take a lively interest in the work of human recovery, surely 
we, for whom the Saviour died, should study, with a thank- 
ful heart and a willing mind, the history of the world's 
redemption. We learn, 

2. That our study of the Gospel should be habitual. 
" Whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and con- 
tinueth therein." Under the Old Testament dispensation it 
was required of the kiug, that he should procure for himself 
a copy of the law, and that he should " read therein all the 
days of his life." (Deut. 17 : 19.) This requisition placed 
the torch-light of Divine truth in the hand of the king, 
whence its rays could hardly fail to reach the utmost verge 
of his kingdom ; and happy will it be for any people whose 
chief magistrate shall follow this godly example ; and whose 
legislators and judges are controlled by Divine truth, in 
their official doings. 

There is evidently, at the present day, a criminal neglect 
of the sacred Scriptures, by many who profess to make them 
the rule of their life. The secular press has so flooded our 



THE PERFECT LAW OF LIBERTY. 141 

land with books and periodicals, many of which are subver- 
sive of true piety, that the Bible is in danger of being over- 
looked or disregarded. Even the sanctity of the holy Sab- 
bath is invaded by the publication and sale of Sunday 
papers ; which certainly have no tendency to make men wise 
unto salvation ; but which come to Christian homes in direct 
violation of the law of God. 

We must not forget that the inspired word is, to our spir- 
itual nature, the bread of life. We can not " grow in grace," 
unless we grow " in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." 
Hence the apostle, in writing to his Christian brethren, uses 
this exhortation : " As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk 
of the word, that ye may grow thereby." (I. Peter 2 : 2.) 
In agreement with this, our Lord, in praying to the Father 
for His disciples, uses the following language : " Sanctify 
them through Thy truth : Thy word is truth." (John 17 : 
17.) We learn, 

3. That ice should retain the Gospel in our memory. 
" Being not forgetful hearers." Memory may be considered 
both as a mental faculty, and as a mental exercise. As a 
mental faculty, it is that capacity or power of the mind, by 
which we retain, or carry with us, a knowledge of past events ; 
and as a mental exercise, it is a conscious knowledge of our past 
experiences. We do not claim that the exercise of memory 
is under the direct control of the human will ; for we may 
remember what Ave would most willingly forget, and we often 
forget what we strongly desire to keep in memory. But 
though memory cannot be directly controlled by the human 



142 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

will, it may nevertheless be greatly influenced and wonder- 
fully improved by a voluntary employment of undivided 
attention, repeated recollection, and protracted meditation. 
We are therefore as justly accountable to God for the proper 
exercise of our memory, as for that of any other faculty of 
the mind. 

This principle is fully recognized in the Scriptures. Hence 
some of the laws which God gave to Israel were inforcecl by 
this consideration : " Thou shalt remember that thou wast a 
bondman in the land of Egypt, and the Lord thy God re- 
deemed thee.' 7 (Dent. 15 : 15.) How touehingly sublime is 
the sentiment which the Psalmist ascribes to the Jewish cap- 
tives ! " If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand 
forget her cunning. If I do not remember thee, let my 
tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth." (Psa. 137 : 5, 6.) 
St. Paul said to the Corinthians, " I declare unto you the 
Gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye received, 
and wherein ye stand ; by which also ye are saved, if ye keep 
in memory what I preached unto you." (I. Cor. 15 : 1, 2.) 
We learn, 

4. That we must obey the Gospel. " Being doers of the 
work." It is not enough that we investigate, understand, 
and hold in memory the teachings of the Gospel ; w T e must 
do what it requires. It is right that men should be exceed- 
ingly careful in forming their religious creed ; but it is not 
right that they should regard faith to be everything, and 
obedience to the Divine law to be nothing ; or, as some have 



THE PERFECT LAW OF LIBERTY. 143 

expressed it, "■■ worse than nothing." This antinornian doc- 
trine, against which St. James argues in the epistle before us, 
has had its advocates at different periods in the history of the 
Church ; but has always shown itself to be destructive of 
true godliness. 

It is a gracious arrangement on the part of God, that we 
are justified by faith alone, without the deeds of the law; 
for, until we are justified we are unrenewed by the work of 
the Spirit, and unable to obey God acceptably. It follows, 
therefore, that to make obedience to the moral law the condi- 
tion of our justification, would be the same as to consign us 
to eternal death. But as "the law is our schoolmaster to 
bring us to Christ, that we maybe justified by faith;" so 
Christ, by working in us His great salvatiou, qualifies us 
" for the obedience of faith ;" that " the righteousness of the 
law may be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but 
after the Spirit," (Rom. 8 : 4.) Our Lord says, " Whoso- 
ever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will 
liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a 
rock." " And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, 
and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which 
built his house upon the sand." (Matt, 7 : 24, 26.) There- 
fore, " be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiv- 
ing your ownselves." 

III. We will use the text as being predictive 

OF THE HAPPINESS OF THOSE WHO RECEIVE AND OBEY 

the Gospel. "This man shall be blessed in his deed." 



144 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

The doctrine taught in this brief sentence is a revelation or 
infinite value to our fallen race. By a law of our nature we 
have a quenchless thirst for happiness. The cry of every 
human heart is, 

" O where shall rest be found, 
Rest for the weary soul?" 
But our experience and our observation declare, that 
" The world can never give, 
The bliss for which we sigh." 

Thousands have spent their lives in seeking happiness in 
sensible objects ; but having failed to obtain it, they have 
been forced at last to take up the experimental lamentation, 
" All is vanity and vexation of spirit/' Is there then no 
happiness for man ? Yes ; above the din of warring elements 
within us and around us, we hear the charming voice of 
Jesus, saying, " Come unto me, all ye that labor, are heavy 
laden, and I will give you red." (Matt. 11 : 28.) The hap- 
piness of those who believe and obey the Gospel arises from 
several facts in their Christian experience. Among these may 
be named, 

1. A consciousness of pardon. Even under the law, the 
evangelical prophet could say, " O Lord, I will praise Thee : 
though Thou wast angry with me, Thine anger is turned 
away, and Thou comfortedst me." (Isa. 12:1.) Jesus 
taught His disciples " that repentance and remission of sins 
should be preached in His name among all nations." (Luke 
24 : 47.) Accordingly St. Peter, when preaching Christ to 
the Jews, said to them, " Repent ye therefore, and be con- 



THE PERFECT LAW OF LIBERTY. 145 

verted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of 
refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord." (Acts 
3:19.) "There is no condemnation to them which are in 
Christ Jesus." (Rom. 8:1.) 

2. Trust in the superintending Providence of God. 
Hardly any fact in the experience of God's people can afford 
them a greater degree of peace and consolation, than a restful 
belief that His watchful care is over them continually. 
They feel as did the Psalmist, when he said, "As the mount- 
ains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about 
his people from henceforth, even forever." (Psa. 125:2.) 
St. Paul could say, " We know that all things work together 
for good to them that love God, to them who are called 
according to His purpose." (Pom. 8 : 28.) . And again, " I 
know whom I ha\ T e believed, and am persuaded that He is 
able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against 
that day." (II. Tim. 1 : 2.) 

3. A lively hope of a blessed inheritance beyond the grave. 
Our Lord, to comfort His disciples in an hour of trouble, 
said to them, " In my Father's house are many mansions : if 
it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a 
place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I 
will come again, and receive you unto myself, that where I 
am, there ye may be also." (John 14 : 2, 3.) In har- 
mony with this announcement of the Saviour St. Paul says, 
" We know that, if our earthly house of this tabernacle were 
dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with 
hands, eternal in the heavens." (II. Cor. 5:1.) 10 



Light With Men. 



" Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have 
the light, lest darkness come upon you ; for he that walk- 
eth in darkness knowelh not whither he goeth." ( John 
12:35.) 

Light, in a philosophical sense, is that ethereal agent or 
matter, by which external objects are reDdered visible. As 
to its origin, it is a distinct creature of God, and was spoken 
into existence on the first day of the creative week. " God 
said, let there be light, and there was light." 

In regard to the nature and propagation of light, two 
leading theories have been advanced. One is, that light is 
composed of excessively minute particles of matter, which 
are emitted from all luminous bodies ; and which was there- 
fore called the corpuscular theory. But as it was entertained 
and strongly advocated by Sir Isaac Newton, it has also been 
called the Newtonian theory. 

The other hypothesis, which is called the undulatory 
theory, assumes that there is, in nature, an extremely elastic 
ethereal fluid, which fills all space, and pervades all sub- 
stances ; that luminous bodies affect this ethereal fluid, by 
producing in it a vibratory or undulatory motion ; and that 

146 



LIGHT WITH MEN. 147 

bv this means light is conveyed to the eye, in somewhat the 
same manner that sound reaches the ear ; that is, by atmos- 
pheric vibration. 

On either of these theories most of the phenomena of light 
can be accounted for ; but, like all the works of God, there 
are mysteries connected with light, which human science can- 
not explain. It is a blessed fact, however, that it is not nec- 
essary to understand the nature and properties of light, in 
order to enjoy its benefits. The unlearned can say, as posi- 
tively as the most scientific, " Truly light is sweet, and sC 
pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun." 

In the Scripture, the term light is often employed in a fig- 
urative sense. Thus David says, " Thy word is a lamp unto 
my feet, and a light unto my path." So St. Paul tells us, 
"Whatsoever doth make manifest is light." In the text our 
Lord evidently applies the term to Himself, as the great 
Teacher of mankind. He says, "Yet a little while is the 
light with you. Walk while ye have the light ; " etc. 

The text contains an important announcement, and a 
solemn exhortation. We will consider, 

I. The announcement. " Yet a little while is the 
light with you." Jesus Christ came into the world, to shed 
upon it all the religious light which is necessary to our sal- 
vation. Good old Simeon, directed by the Holy Spirit, and 
with the infant Redeemer in his arms, declared Him to be 
"A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of Israel." 
(Luke 2 : 32.) And Jesus said of Himself, " I am the light 



148 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

of the world. He that followeth me shall not walk in dark- 
ness, but shall have the light of life." (John 8:12.) This 
important announcement may be considered, 

1. In its relation to the Jews. The light was with them. 

(1.) In the Messianic predictions of their own Scriptures, 
Soon after the fall of our first parents God gave them a 
gracious promise, that one of their offspring, at some future 
day, would become the Deliverer of the race from Satanic 
domination. The language in which this promise was 
couched seems to us now to be somewhat obscure; but attend- 
ant circumstances may have rendered it perfectly intelligible 
to the fallen pair. This idea of a coming Deliverer was enter- 
tained, in some degree, by the succeeding generations of men, 
till the days of Abraham. To him the promise was more 
clearly revealed, when God said to him, " In thy seed (which 
seed is Christ) shall all the families of the earth be blessed." 
(Gen. 12:3.) 

As years rolled on, light in regard to the promised Re- 
deemer gradually increased. The Jewish prophets called the 
attention of the people to His genealogy, the time of His 
advent, the place of His nativity, His twofold nature, His 
threefold office ; and to the spirituality, extension, and per- 
manence of His mediatorial kingdom. Indeed, the whole 
Mosaic economy was predictive of the redeeming work of 
Christ, and should have led the Jews to receive Jesus of 
Nazareth as the promised Messiah. The light was with them, 



LIGHT WITH MEN. 149 

(2.) In the personal presence of the Redeemer. Our 
heavenly Father has revealed Himself to the world as a 
purely spiritual Being ; " Whom," therefore, as St. Paul 
asserts, " no man hath seen, nor can see." (I. Tim. 6 : 15.) 
But though, in regard to His essential nature, He is " the 
invisible God," yet He has placed Himself within the 
domain of human sensation, by the incarnation of His only 
begotten Son. It was on this principle that Jesus said to His 
disciples, " He that hath seen me hath seen the Father." 
(John 14 : 9.) To see " the man Christ Jesus," and to hear 
His words is therefore the same, as to see God the Father, and 
to hear his voice ; for in the person of Christ " dwelleth all 
the fullness of the Godhead bodily." (Col. 2 : 9.) It is not 
to be wondered at, that those who were " waiting for the 
consolation of Israel," as were Simeon and Anna the proph- 
etess, should regard the privilege of beholding the incarnate 
Son of God, as a soul-cheering opportunity. St. John says, 
" The word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we 
beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the 
Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1 : 14.) But this 
peculiar manifestation of divine glory, in the personal pre- 
sence of Jesus Christ, was confined to a single generation. 

" Prophets and kings desired it long, 

But died without the sight." 

The light was with the Jews, 

(3.) In our Lord's £>ublic ministry. In Him was fulfilled 
the prediction of Moses, who said, "A prophet shall the 
Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto 



150 . GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

me : Him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever He shall 
say unto you.' 7 (Acts 3 : 22.) The extraordinary ability of 
Jesus Christ as a religious teacher was generally admitted. 
When He delivered His sermon on the Mount, " the people 
were astonished at His doctrine ; for He taught them as one 
having authority, and not as the scribes." (Matt. 7 : 28, 29.) 
St. Luke tells us that when He preached to the people in 
Nazareth, where He had been brought up, " All bore Him 
witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded 
out of His mouth." (Luke 4 : 22.) Even the officers who 
had been commanded to take Him and bring Him before 
council, were so charmed with His teachings, that instead of 
arresting Him they returned to those who sent them, saying, 
" Never man spake like this man." (John 7 : 46.) The light 
was with the Jews, 

(4.) In the wonderful works which our Lord performed. 
We here assume, what it would be absurd to deny, that 
while He sojourned on earth He wrought miracles. It is 
evident, moreover, that He intended those miracles to be a 
proof to the people that He was the promised Messiah ; for 
when John the Baptist sent messengers to Jesus, to ask him 
" Art Thou He that should come ? or look we for another? " 
He said to them, " Go your way, and tell John what things 
ye have seen and heard ; hoAV that the blind see, the lame 
walk, the leapers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, 
and to the poor the Gospel is preached." (Luke 7 : 22.) Again 
He said, " The works which the Father hath given me to 



LIGHT WITH MEN. 151 

finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that 
the Father hath sent me." (John 5 : 36.) Nicodemus 
viewed this matter in its true light, when he said, " .Rabbi, 
we know that thou art a teacher come from God ; for no man 
can do these miracles that Thou doest, except God be with 
him." (John 3 : 2.) We will consider this announcement, 

2. In its relation to us. We cannot now behold the sun- 
light of the Redeemer's face, as did His beloved disciples, 
and those to whom He preached the Gospel ; nor can we feel 
the magnetic touch of that soft hand, which gave sight to 
him who had been born blind. We cannot hear the peculiar 
tones of that pathetic voice, which spoke pardon to the 
penitent, joy to the sorrowing, health to the sick, and life to 
dead. Nevertheless, it may be truthfully asserted, that the 
light is as really with us, as it was with the Jews ; but in a 
higher degree. The light is with us, 

(1.) In the holy Scriptures. Here we have the teachings 
of Moses and the prophets, and of Christ and the apostles ; 
all contained in that one blessed volume called by way of 
eminence, The Bible. This book, which is spread broadcast 
over all Christian lands, and is rapidly finding its way to all 
heathen lands, is an infallible directory in all matters of re- 
ligion. Jesus said to the people, " Search the Scriptures ; 
for in them ye think ye have eternal life : and they are they 
which testify of me." (John 5 : 39.) St. Paul asserts, "All 
Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for 
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in right- 



152 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

eousness ; that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly 
furnished unto all good works." (II. Tim. 3 : 16-17.) The 
light is with us, 

(2.) In the preaching of the Gospel. No institution in 
connection with the economy of redemption exhibits more 
clearly the wisdom of God, than the appointment of the 
Gospel ministry. Men are by nature so strongly disinclined 
to search for moral and religious truth, that the Bible, with 
all its heavenly instruction, would be a neglected book, if no 
authoritative agency were employed to call their attention to 
its teachings. Hence our Lord manifested both benevolence 
and wisdom, in ordaining in His Church an order of men, 
whose work it should be to proclaim to their fellow men the 
unsearchable riches of Christ. The command of the Master 
to His ambassadors is, " Go ye into all the world, and preach 
the Gospel to every creature." (Mark 16 : 15.) 

The good to be accomplished by the preaching of the 
Gospel is briefly outlined by the Redeemer, when he appeared 
to Saul of Tarsus, to give him his Gospel commission. On 
that occasion he said, " Delivering thee from the people and 
from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, to open their 
eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the 
power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness 
of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by 
faith that is in me." (Acts 26 : 17, 18.) St. Paul, after 
having full proof of what this means of grace had accom- 
plished, unhesitatingly declared, " I am not ashamed of the 



LIGHT WITH MEN. 153 

Gospel of Christ ; for it is the power of God unto salvation 
to every one that believeth." (Rom. 1 : 1G.) The light is 
with us. 

(3.) In the operations of the Holy Spirit. That the Holy 
Spirit can impress ideas upon the human mind, must be 
admitted by all who believe the Scriptures ; for to deny it 
would be to deny the possibility of a Divine revelation. 
The. operations of the Spirit have been realized by men in all 
ages of the world. He strove with the wicked before the 
flood, until God said, " My Spirit shall not always strive 
with man ; " and they were consigned to destruction. 
While Stephen, the protomartyr, was delivering his last ser- 
mon, he made this declaration: "Ye do always resist the 
Holy Ghost : as your fathers did, so do ye." (Acts 7 : 51.) 
Hence it follows, that the Holy Spirit strove with the Jews 
in all their generations ; for if not, they could not have 
resisted Him. 

Under the Gospel dispensation, however, the work of the 
Spirit has been more fully realized than ever before. Our 
Lord taught his disciples that, after His ascension to heaven, 
the Father would send upon them the Holy Spirit, who 
should be to them both a Comforter and a Guide. He said, 
" I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another 
Comforter, that He may abide with you forever ; even the 
Spirit of truth." (John 14: 16.) Again, " But the Com- 
forter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send 



154 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

in my name, He shall teach you all things and bring all 
things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto 
you." (John 14 : 26.) The light is with us, 

(4.) In the life and experience of the pious. - Experi- 
mental religion is a convincing and instructive commentary 
on the revealed plan of human recovery. The religion of 
the Bible is not a mere speculative theory, as some profess to 
believe ; but is a real science, founded upon the moral attri- 
butes of God, and susceptible of experimental proof. To 
test this religion for ourselves we must comply with its pre- 
liminary requirements. If we do this, we shall soon be 
convinced that it is a Divine reality. David said, " O taste 
and see that the Lord is good : blessed is the man that trust- 
eth in him." (Psa. 34 : 8.) And our Lord declareth, " If 
any man do," the will of the Father, " he shall know of the 
doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of 
myself." (John 7 : 17.) 

If we would know the superiority of our holy religion to 
every other religious theory, and to every phase of infidelity, 
Ave must mark the life of those who exemplify its principles; 
but this is not the course which our ' opponents usually 
pursue. They seem to take pleasure in calling attention to 
the evil doings of nominal Christians, as if their wicked 
deeds were legitimate fruits of Christianity ; but nothing can 
be more absurd. We might as well argue that the frequent 
violation of a law proves it to be unrighteous, or unneces- 
sary. But if to disobey any rule of life is morally wrong, 



LIGHT WITH MEN. 155 

to obey it must be morally right ; and the rale itself must 
be right. We admit that some who bear the name of Christ 
are a disgrace to the Christian cause ; but there are many 
who are " Israelites indeed, in whom is no guile ; " and of 
whom it may be said, they " are the light of the world." 

Experience tells us that Christians rise higher in the scale of 
moral excellence than others ; that they have more real enjoy- 
ment in the present life than others ; that they can meditate 
upon death without fear, while others " die a thousand deaths 
in dreading one ; " and that their faith and hope, in regard 
to the future life, secure for them unspeakable peace in the 
dying hour. While standing upon the stormy bank of 
Jordan they can say with St. Paul, " We know that, if our 
earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a 
building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in 
the heavens." (II. Cor. 5 : 1.) 

II. The exhortation. "Walk, while ye have the 
light, lest darkness come upon you ; for he that walketh in 
darkness knoweth not whither he goeth." In this part of 
the subject two things are to be considered ; the duty to 
which we are exhorted, and the motives by which it is 
enforced. 

1. The duty to which we are exhorted. " Walk, while ye 
have the light." To walk, frequently means to live, to act, 
to conduct one's self. Thus, to " walk with God," is to live 
in communion with Him. To " walk after the Spirit," is to 
act according to His teachings. To " walk circumspectly," 



156 GOSPEL TIDIXGS. 

is to conduct one's self in a proper manner. To " walk 
after the flesh/' is to follow the dictates of our carnal nature. 
This single word, as it is here employed, covers the whole 
ground of what is necessary to our salvation. This life is a 
journey, of which death is the terminus. To this end all 
men must come, whether they are righteous or wicked ; but 
it is possible so to combine the service of God with our 
journey to the tomb, that we may enter into life eternal. 
But to do this, we must " walk while we have the light ; " or 
in other words, we must conform our life to the teachings of 
the Gospel of Christ. This involves three indispensable 
facts of Christian experience ; faith in Christ, moral renova- 
tion, and practical piety. 

(1.) Faith in Christ. Our salvation is "by grace-" but 
it is by grace " through faith" This is the only key by 
which sinners can enter into the store-house of saving grace 
— the only instrumental cause by which they can realize peace 
with God ; for " without faith it is impossible to please Him." 
Jesus says, " He that believeth in Him (the Son) is not con- 
demned ; but he that believeth not is condemned already, be- 
cause he hath not believed in the name of the only-begotten 
Son of God." (John 3 : 18.) " While," therefore, " ye have 
the light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of 
light." (John 12: 36.) 

(2.) Moral renovation. To be a subject of the pardoning 
grace of God is a privilege of infinite importance ; but in- 
valuable and soul-comforting as it is, it is not the whole of 



LIGHT WITH MEN. 157 

salvation. Were it possible for us to obtain a free and full 
pardon, without realizing any change in our moral nature, it 
would neither prepare us for serving God on earth, nor 
qualify us for heaven. " That which is born of the flesh is 
flesh ;" as the parents are morally corrupt and sinful, so must 
be their children ; nor can they ever be anything else, till 
they are " born of the Spirit/' Hence Jesus said, " Ye must 
be born again ;" and St. Paul declared, " If any man be in 
Christ, he is a new creature." 

(3.) Practical piety. Xo lesson more frequently meets 
the eye of the Bible student, than that of obedience to the 
law of God. And though the Gospel tells us that " a man is 
justified without the deeds of the law," it does not thence fol- 
low, that faith has superceded the claims of the law ; for St. 
Paul says, a Do we then make void the law through faith? 
God forbid ; yea, we establish the law." (Rom. 3 : 31.) "We 
are therefore " under the law to Christ," who has said, " Ye 
are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." (John 
15 : 14.) "Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, 
deceiving your own selves." (Jame 1 : 22.) 

2. The motives by which the exhortation is enforced. We 
might call attention to many motives which should incline us 
to make the religion of Christ our first and greatest concern ; 
but we shall notice those only which are suggested in the 
text. We should walk in the path of the just, 

(1.) Because we have the light. As moral agents we are 
required to improve every talent which God gives us ; but of 
all the gracious bestowments which He has conferred upon 



158 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

mankind, the gift of His only-begotten Son is the greatest. 
Through Him " the day-spring from on high hath visited us, 
to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow 
of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." (Luke 
1 : 78, 79.) And since He has " brought life and immor- 
tality to light through the Gospel/ 7 we should " walk in the 
light, as He is in the light." 

(2.) Because we cannot long enjoy the light. " Yet a little 
while is the light with you." This was literally true, so far 
as it related to our Lord's personal presence with the Jews. 
He was soon to leave them, and ascend to the Father. And 
this is relatively true of all men in regard to their day of pro- 
bation, during which alone the light can be improved to the 
obtainment of salvation. Human life, at its greatest length, 
is but " a little while ;" and then, it is liable to be terminated 
at any moment. 

(3.) Because, if ive do not improve the light, darkness ivill 
overtake us. " Lest darkness come upon you." He who neg- 
lects to improve the light must abide in the darkness of pain- 
ful uncertainty ; for " he that walketh in darkness knoweth 
not whither he goeth." He who rejects the light must siuTer 
the darkness of judicial blinclDess, of a hopeless death, and of 
eternal torment. " He that, being often reproved, hardeneth 
his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without rem- 
edy." (Prov. 29 : 1.) May God, in His infinite mercy, save 
us from the destruction of the ungodly ! 



Faith, Hope, and Charity. 



" And now abideth faith, hoj^e, charity, these three; but the 
greatest of these is charity." (I. Cor. 13 : 13.) 

The Church of God is sometimes spoken of under the 
figure of a military organization, either as being in a state of 
warfare, or as having returned from the field of conflict, 
crowned with victory and honor. In the former case it is 
called the Church Militant — in the latter, the Church Trium- 
pJiani. 

It is also represented as being visible or invisible. By the 
visible Church is meant the entire body of professing Chris- 
tians, as distinguished from the unbelieving world ; and by 
the invisible, all who are united to Jesus Christ by a living 
faith. St. Paul seems to recognize this distinction when he 
says, " He is not a Jew, who is one outwardly ; neither is 
that circumcision which is outward in the flesh ; but he is a 
Jew, who is one inwardly ; and circumcision is that of the 
heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter ; whose praise is not 
of men, but of God." 

As " they are not all Israel who are of Israel," or, in other 
words, as some may be enrolled with the people of God who 
are not really His people, how shall we distinguish the nieni- 



159 



160 GOSPEL TIDIXGS. 

bers of the invisible church from those who are merely nom- 
inal ? To this we reply ; it may not be possible, in every case, 
to decide this question correctly ; but the essential character- 
istics of true Christianity are so clearly presented in the Bible, 
that we shall seldom be mistaken if we carefully apply our 
Lord's rule, " Ye shall know them by their fruits." Those, 
and those only, who bring forth the fruits of faith, hope, and 
charity, are the true members of Christ's mystical body. 

In the discussion of the text Aye will notice each of these 
Christian graces, in the order in which they are named ; and 
then show why charity is the greatest of the three. 

1. Faith. An investigation of this element of Christian 
character will lead us to notice both the nature of faith, and 
the offices which it performs in the work of our salvation. 

(1.) Its nature. Faith is a firm persuasion of the truth- 
fulness of a proposition on the ground of evidence. Human 
knowledge is gained by different kinds of evidence. 
There is the evidence of sense, of reason of consciousness and 
of testimony. Faith in its highest sense, rests upon testimony 
alone ; but it is common to speak of any settled conclusion 
of the mind as an act of faith or believing, without any regard 
to the kind of evidence by which it is produced. Our Lord 
said to Thomas, " Because thou hast seen me (the evidence 
of sense) thou hast believed : blessed are they that have not 
seen me, and yet (on the testimony of others) have believed." 
(John 20 : 29.) 



FAITH, HOPE AND CHARITY. 161 

If we were incapable of exercising a restful confidence in 
testimony, our knowledge would necessarily be restricted to 
what can be ascertained by sensation, consciousness, and 
rational induction. Without a faculty to believe, we could 
not know where we were born, who our parents were, or any 
occurrence which took place before our time. We all know 
that George Washington was the first President of the United 
States of America ; but how did we gain this knowledge ? 
Surely not by sensation, or consciousness, or rational induc- 
tion ; but simply by the belief of human testimony. 

This view of faith is in perfect harmony with the teach- 
ings of St. Paul, when he said, " Through faith we under- 
stand that the worlds were made by the word of God ; " for 
though, in this case, our faith rests upon testimony divinely 
inspired, it is nevertheless a belief of the truth on the ground 
of testimony. We believe that " God created the heavens 
and the earth," because it is so declared in His word ; nor 
is there any other way to gain a knowledge of this fact, but 
by believing the divine testimony respecting it. 

To rely upon the evidence of testimony is as natural to 
the human mind, as it is to rely upon the evidence of sense ; 
and our reliance in the former case may be as strong as in 
the latter. I never saw the city of London ; but I am as 
sure of its existence as I am of the existence of Philadelphia, 
which I have repeatedly seen. Sensation and faith, though 
both important sources of knowledge, are widely different in 
the extent of their domain. Sensation, from its very nature, 



162 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

is dependent upon present and surrounding objects, and is, 
in reality, a matter of personal experience ; but faith visits 
every part of the known world, goes back through, the ages 
of the past to the beginning of time, and launches upon 
the ocean of the eternal future. 

(2.) The offices which faith performs in the work of our 
salvation. The religion of the Bible requires the worship 
and service of one living and true God, the maker of the 
heavens and the earth, and the upholder of all things. Hence 
its foundation is laid in the exercise of faith ; " for he that 
cometh to God must believe that he is, and that He is a 
rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. 7? (Heb. 1 : 6.) 
But as we are fallen, sinful and guilty creatures, we caunot 
render to God the service which His law requires, until we 
are saved from guilt and moral pollution. This salvation 
implies penitence, pardon, and regeneration, and is wholly 
a gracious work of God ; but He has ordained that it shall 
come to us through the exercise of believing ; " By grace are 
ye saved through faith ; aud that not of yourselves : it is 
the gift of God." (Eph. 2 : 8.) What, then, are the offices 
which faith performs in the work of our salvation? 

(1.) It leads to true repentance. This may be regarded as 
the first distinctive element in the moral recovery of a sinner ; 
but it is an element without which there can be no salvation, 
and which necessarily implies the precedence of faith. We do 
not claim that a man must exercise justifying faith before he 
can become a true penitent ; but we do claim that evangeli- 



FAITH, HOPE AND CHARITY. 163 

cal repentance is always preceded by a greater or less degree 
of faith in revealed truth. This is evident from the very 
nature of repentance ; for it would be absurd to suppose that 
any one could become a true penitent, without believing in 
the existence of God, the holiness of His law, the fallen and 
sinful condition of man, and a future state of retribution. 

We do not mean to say, however, that a merely intellectual 
belief of inspired truth, independent of divine influence, can 
lead men to evangelical repentance ; for the Scriptures teach 
that it belongs to the Holy Spirit to effect our personal salva- 
tion. Hence it follows, that unless our faith is accompanied 
by the gracious influences of the Holy Spirit, we cannot 
realize that conviction of sin, that sorrow for sin, and that 
renunciation of sin, which repentance unto life requires. 

(2.) Faith is the instrumental cause of our justification. 
The Scriptures teach that no one of our fallen race can be 
justified before God, by obedience to the moral law. This is 
evident from two facts ; Fisrt, that in our morally enfeebled 
condition we cannot render to Him that perfect obedience which 
His law demands ; and Second, that even if we could commence 
at some given period in the history of our life, and thence 
forward perfectly obey His commandments, it would not can- 
cel the sins which we had previously committed. It follows 
therefore, that " by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh 
be justified in His sight." (Rom. 3 : 20.) 

Nor are we justified by faith because it is, in itself any 
more meritorious than obedience to the law ; but because it 
rests upon the atonement of Christ — the only meritorious 



164 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

cause of pardon, and is the condition on which God has 
promised to justify the ungodly. St. Paul tells us that " a man 
is justified by faith, without the deeds of the law ; " (Rorn. 
3:2.) that to him who worketh not, but believeth on Him 
who justifieth theun godly, his faith is counted for righteous- 
ness ; " (Rom. 4 : 5,) and that " being justified by faith, 
we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ." 
(Rom. 5:1.) 

As faith is the instrumental cause of justification, it may 
be regarded as sustaining the same relation to regeneration. 
St. John says of our Lord, "As many as received Him, to 
them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to 
them who believed on His name." (John 1 :12.) On this 
passage we remark, First, That to receive Christ, and to 
believe on His name, are phrases of the same import, both 
implying justifying faith ; Second, That to become the 
sons of God, is to be regenerated or born of the Spirit ; and, 
Third, That this regenerating, work is preceded by justify- 
ing faith. Accordingly it is asserted by St. Paul, in his 
letter to the Galatians, " Ye are all the children of God by 
faith in Christ Jesus ; " but if men become the children of 
God by faith, the precedence of faith to regeneration must be 
conceded. 

(3.) Faith is the medium through which we obtain all nee- 
essary supplies for our Christian journey. As it is by faith 
that we enter upon the path of life, so it is only by faith that 
we can pursue it successfully to the end ; " for we walk by 



165 

faith, not by sight." If we have " passed from death unto 
life " we belong to the Grand Army of the Redeemed — we 
are soldiers of the Cross. The enemies with which we have 
to contend are the world, the flesh, and the Devil. These, 
though powerful, subtle, and united, are nevertheless con- 
querable ; but only through faith in the Captain of our sal- 
vation. He said to his followers, " In the world ye shall 
have tribulation ; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the 
world." (John 16:33.) If we would overcome our 
spiritual enemies, and " lay hold on eternal life," we must 
" fight the good fight of faith." " Cast not away therefore 
your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward : for 
ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of 
God, ye might receive the promise." (Heb. 10 : 35, 36.) 

2. Hope. In turning our attention to this feature of the 
subject we will notice both its nature in general, and its 
application to Christianity. 

1.) The nature of hope in general It is a compound 
exercise of the mind, including, at the same time, both the 
desire and the expectation of some real or supposed good. 
By a law of our nature we desire whatever we believe to be 
promotive of our happiness,or contributive to our gratification. 
But as it is possible, from the waywardness of our nature, 
that we may desire what would not be for our good, but a 
great evil, the moral quality of our desires, and whether we 
should seek their gratification or not, must be decided by a 
higher law. 



166 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

Expectation, as an element of hope, necessarily implies the 
absence of what is hoped for ; because it would be absurd to 
expect what we already possess. " What a man seeth why 
doth he yet hope for ? " (Rom. 8 : 24.) It implies, more- 
over, that we believe the desired object to be obtainable ; for 
if we have no ground to believe that the good which we 
desire shall be realized, it cannot be the object of a rational 
expectation, and, consequently, desire will pass into despon- 
dency. 

Hope is man's natural comforter, and has very appropri- 
ately been denominated " the Balm of Life." It comes to 
our help even in the days of childhood, and journeys with us 
as a faithful companion, during life's entire history. The 
sources of earthly comfort may fail to meet our temporal 
wants ; the friends of our youth and of our riper years may 
become unfaithful and forsake us ; adverse circumstances, 
which seem, at first sight, to be almost insurmountable, may 
cross our pathway ; but in the midst of all these, and similar 
discouragements, perennial hope maintains its residence in 
the human breast, nor will it abdicate its throne till life is 
extinct. 

2.) Having made the previous remarks in regard to the 
nature of hope in general, we come now to consider it in its 
application to Christianity. Here it finds its legitimate and 
most interesting field of operation, and is as perfectly adapted 
to the Christian religion as the eye is to light, or as the ear 



167 

is to sound. In calling attention to what we conceive to be 
involved in Christian hope, we will notice its object, the 
moral status of its subjects, and the basis on which it rests. 

(1.) Its object. This is " eternal life, through Jesus 
Christ our Lord." There are other objects, we know, in 
regard to which Christians are required to exercise hope ; but 
they are only auxiliary to the main question, and are there- 
fore included in the all comprehending object — eternal life. 
St. Peter gives us a beautiful and impressive portrayal of the 
Christian's hope, and its glorious object. He says, " Blessed 
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who accord- 
ing to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a 
lively hope, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the 
dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undeflled, and 
that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are 
kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, 
ready to be revealed in the last time." (I. Peter 1 : 3-5.) 
The apostle, thus anticipating the glory of the heavenly in- 
heritance, exhorts his brethren to Christian diligence and 
perseverance. "Wherefore, gird up the loins of your mind ? 
be sober, and hope to the end, for the grace that is to 
be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." 
(I. Pet, 1 : 13.) 

(2.) The moral status of its subjects. The very nature of 
this hope clearly implies, that it can be exercised by those 
only who are regenerated. It includes both a desire to 
obtain eternal life, and an expectation of realizing it ; neither 



168 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

of which can belong to the unconverted. It is possible that 
when they die they would rather go to heaven than to hell ; 
not because they desire the former, but because they dread 
the latter. St. Paul asserts that " the carnal mind (the unre- 
newed mind) is enmity against God ; " and that " they who 
are in the flesh cannot please God." It follows therefore, 
that the unregenerate are morally incapable of truly desiring 
eternal life ; nor have they any reason to expect it, for Jesus 
has declared, " Except a man be born again he cannot see 
the kingdom of God." 

Is there then no hope for the unconverted ? There is, on 
certain conditions ; for though they are now condemned by the 
law, they are yet " prisoners of hope." If they become 
penitent seekers of salvation they have a right, on Gospel 
principles, to hope for pardon and regenerating grace ; " For 
whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be 
saved." 

The hope of eternal life is the birth-right of the children 
of God ; for " if children, then heirs ; heirs of God, and 
joint heirs with Christ." (Rom. 8 : 17.) It is not to 
be expected, however, that this hope must be exercised by 
all the regenerate, or by any one of them at all times, in the 
same degree of strength. In the experience of one, it may 
be, at first, little more than a consoling probability ; while in 
that of another it may exclude all doubt. And though it 
should, at first, take hold of its object with a trembling hand, 
it may nevertheless so increase in strength, under suitable 



FAITH, HOPE AND CHARITY. 169 

culture, as to become " the full assurance of hope." This 
was doubtless the experience of St. Paul, when he said, " \\ r e 
know that, if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dis- 
solved, we have a building of God ; a house not made with 
hands, eternal in the heavens." (II. Cor. 5:1.) 

(3.) The basis of the Christian's hope. This includes the 
benevolence of God, the redeeming work of Christ, and the 
promises of the Gospel. 

There is given, in the sacred Scriptures, a most touching 
account of the Divine benevolence. It is asserted that 
" Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth 
them that fear Him;" (Psa. 103: 13.) that " the Lord is 
good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works ; " 
(Psa. 145 : 9.) that " God so loved the world, that He gave 
His only begotten Son for its redemption;" (John 3: 16.) 
and that He " is not willing that any should perish." (II. 
Peter 2 : 9.) If God " spared not His own Son, but 
delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him 
also freely give all things ? " (Rom. 8 : 32.) 

The hope of eternal life comes to us through the mediation 
of Jesus Christ. He " bore our sins in his own body on the 
tree ; " thus redeeming us from the curse of the law, by 
being made a curse for us. In His sacrificial death there 
was ample provision made for our salvation, both present 
and future. " God hath given to us eternal life, and this 
life is in His Son;" (I. John 5: 11.) and " if, when we 



170 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His 
Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His 
life." (Rom. 5 : 10.) 

It has pleased God, in His infinite goodness, to sustain the 
hope of His people in this world of tribulation, by giving 
them many great and precious promises. To cite them all, 
would be to quote a large portion of the sacred canon. We 
will therefore notice only a few passages which relate to the 
future life. Jesus said, " My sheep hear my voice, and I 
know them, and they follow me : and I give unto them 
eternal life ; and they shall never perish, neither shall any 
man pluck them out of my hand." (John 10 : 27, 28.) 
" When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye 
also appear with him in glory." (Col. 3 : 4.) St. Paul tes- 
tifies that " Godliness • is profitable unto all things, having 
promise of the life that now is, and that which is to come." 
(I. Tim. 4 : 8.) 

" How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, 
Is laid for your faith in His excellent word ! 
What more can He say, than to you He hath said, 
To you, who for refuge to Jesus have fled? " 
3. Charity. Our English word charity is derived from 
the Greek Ka pcC, which means grace or favor, and from which 
comes aapiotia, a free gift. Hence charity is very commonly 
employed, in agreement with its etymology, to designate the 
bestoAvment of favors upon the poor and the suffering. Xo 
one can be an attentive student of the Bible, without perceiv- 
ing that alms-giving, or ministering to the necessities of the 



FAITH, HOPE AND CHARITY. 171 

destitute, is a Scriptural requisition ; but it is not in this seuse 
that the term is employed in this connection. The apostle 
supposes that a man might give all his goods to feed the 
poor, and yet be destitute of what is here called charity ; 
which would be a contradiction, if charity were used in the 
sense of alms-giving. The Greek word aya-kr/^ which means 
love, is employed several times in this chapter, and is, in each 
case, rendered charity. It follows, therefore, that the word 
charity in the text means love : love to God, and love to man. 

This charity or love is our all comprehending duty. 
When a certain lawyer said to our Lord, " Master, which is 
the great commandment of the law ? Jesus said unto him, 
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and 
with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first 
and great commandment : and the second is like unto it ; 
Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two com- 
mandments hang all the law and the prophets.' 7 (Matt. 22 : 
36-40.) It is on this ground that St. Paul asserts, " Love 
is the fulfilling of the law." 

But to love God as His law requires, is neither natural nor 
possible to fallen and unregenerate man ; because he is 
" carnal, sold under sin," and an enemy to God. This love 
is therefore not indigenous to the human mind. It is an 
exotic from the Eden above — a fruit of the Holy Spirit ; for 
" the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts, by the Holy 
Ghost which is given unto us." (Eom. 5 : 5.) " We love 
Him because He first loved us." (I. John 4:19.) 



172 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

The proof of true love for God, is obedience to His com- 
mandments, and love for our fellow men. Jesus says, " He 
that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that 
loveth me." (John 14: 21.) Equally clear is the testimony 
of His beloved disciple : " This is the love of God, (the 
legitimate fruit and practical proof of it) that we keep His 
commandments." (I. John 5 : 3.) JS~or can we justly claim 
to love God, unless we love our neighbor also. " By this," 
said our Lord, " shall all men know that ye are my disciples, 
if ye have love one toward another." (John 13 : 35.) " If 
a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar : 
for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how 
can he love God whom he hath not seen ? " (I. John 4 : 20.) 
The meaning is, he who does not love his brother, cannot 
love God. 

Having called attention to the three Christian graces, 
faith, hope, and charity, we will proceed to show, 

II. Why charity is the greatest. This is a ques- 
tion in regard to which men differ. It is the opinion of 
some, that faith and hope are confined to the present life ; 
and that charity is declared to be the greatest, because it 
shall be perpetuated in the life to come. Hence we are told 
that, in the future life, faith shall be lost in sight, and hope 
in fruition ; and that charity is the grace which shall " live 
and sing, when faith and hope shall cease." 

How this kind of theology originated, we do not pretend 
to know ; but we are sure that it is neither taught in the 



173 

Bible, nor deducible from the nature of faith or hope. We 
admit that when an object of faith or hope becomes a matter 
of joersonal experience, its relation to us becomes changed to 
that of conscious possession ; but this change does not affect 
the mental faculties by which we believe and hope. They 
remain the same, to be exercised upon other objects. No 
one will deny that we are capable of believing and hoping 
while life continues ; and as death cannot destroy the human 
soul, so neither can it destroy any of its faculties. As surely, 
therefore, as it shall exist unimpaired beyond the dissolution 
of the body, so surely shall it be capable of exercising faith 
and hope in the spirit world. 

While there is nothing in the Scriptures to disprove this 
view of the subject, there is much to confirm it. The text 
itself, when interpreted in the light of the context, is confirm- 
atory of the doctrine. The apostle, in this connection, 
speaks of two classes of spiritual endowments. The first 
includes those extraordinary gifts of the Spirit which were so 
richly bestowed upon the infant Church of Christ, for its 
establishment in the world, but have passed away, because 
no longer necessary. The second class embraces what may 
be called essential and abiding elements of true Christian- 
ity — " faith, hope, charity ; " and as they are taken together, 
and contrasted with those gifts which are declared to be evan- 
escent, the necessary conclusion is, that they shall never cease 
to exist. 



174 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

If faith and hope should cease at death, as some assert, the 
field of human investigation, instead of being enlarged in the 
future state, as the apostle evidently teaches, would be 
diminished. We can now think of the past, the present, and 
the future ; but if, in the life to come, we should be incapable 
of faith and hope, we would be excluded both from remem- 
bering the past and contemplating the future. For what is 
memory, but a continued belief respecting past events ? and 
what is hope, but a believing expectation of future good ? 

There is no proof of the existence of any intelligent moral 
creature who is incapable of believing. It is positively 
asserted that " devils believe ; " and it therefore follows that 
angels, as a class of moral creatures, are capable of believing ; 
unless it can be shown, that devils acquired this capability 
since their fall. The rich man who lifted up his eyes in hell 
must have believed, even there, that his five brethren were 
in danger of coming to that place of torment. Who then 
will deny, that disembodied saints are now joyously looking 
forward, by faith and hope, to the immortal glories of the 
resurrection morn ? Is it not reasonable to believe that, as 
faith, hope, and charity are essential to true piety on earth, 
they shall be inseparable in the experience of heaven ? 

But some one may say, if these three graces shall be of 
equal duration, why is charity called the greatest ? We 
answer, 

1. Because it imparts moral worth to all our religious per- 
formances. It pleased God, in establishing the Christian 
religion among men, to prove its Divine authority by mirac- 



FAITH, HOPE AND CHARITY. 175 

ulous gifts. Thus, to one was given " the working of mir- 
acles ; to another prophecy ; to another discerning of spirits ; 
to another divers kinds of tongues ; and to another the inter- 
pretation of tongues." These extraordinary gifts answered 
an important purpose in the introduction of the Gospel dis- 
pensation, and were therefore worthy of being earnestly cov- 
eted ; but they possessed no saving virtue in the absence of 
Christian charity. Hence the apostle says, " Though I speak 
with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, 
I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And 
though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mys- 
teries, and all knowledge ; and though I have all faith, so 
that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am 
nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the 
poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not 
charity, it pronteth me nothing." Charity is the greatest, 

2. Because it qualifies us for all our social relations in the 
present life. In regard to this the apostle asserts, " Charity 
suffereth long, and is kind ; charity envieth not ; charity 
vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself 
unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, 
thinketh no evil ; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in 
the truth ; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all 
thiugs, endureth all things." Those, whose spirit and prac- 
tice are in harmony with this inspired description of Chris- 
tian charity, which is love toward God and toward man, are 
truly " the light of the world," and " the salt of the earth ;" 
and if men could be induced to submit to the sweet control 



176 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

of this heaven born principle, our wicked world would soon 
be transformed into a Paradisian home. Again, charity is 
the greatest, 

3. Because, in its exercise, ice make the nearest possible 
approach to the character of God. That God created man in 
His own image, is the positive testimony of the Bible ; but 
just what his image included is not so clearly revealed. We 
have reason to believe, however, that it included a likeness to 
His moral nature-, for St. Paul, in speaking of the conversion 
of the Ephesians, describes it as the putting on of the " new 
man, which after God is created in righteousness and true 
holiness." (Eph. 4 : 24.) St. Peter also speaks of the same 
moral change, as being made " partakers of the Divine 
nature." (II. Peter 1 : 4.) We venture the assertion, that all 
the adorable attributes of God center in love ; which, as St. 
John seems to indicate, is emphatically His nature" God is 
love. 

It follows, therefore, that the more ardent and pure our 
charity or love becomes, the more are we conformed to the 
nature and image of God. This love is not a natural devel- 
opment ; it is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. " The love of God 
is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is 
given unto us." (Pom. 5 : 5.) It is mainly in the enjoy- 
ment and exercise of this love that we hold communion and 
fellowship with God. St. John says, " Truly our fellowship 
is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ ;" for " he 
that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. 
" The greatest of these is charity." 



Self Examination. 



Examine yourselves whether ye be in the faith ; prove your own 
selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus 
Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates f" (II, Cor. 
13 : 5.) 

Wisdom demands that before we engage in any important 
or far-reaching enterprise, we should first sit down, count the 
cost, and make the best calculation possible, respecting its 
probable return ; and the degree of caution should correspond 
to the magnitude of the contemplated undertaking. If this 
is a correct mode of procedure in regard to the common affairs 
of life ; and if spiritual and eternal interests are of more 
value than those which are merely temporal ; then are we 
solemnly bound to scrutinize the quality of our religion, and 
to ascertain, as far as we can, whether our Christianity is 
founded upon the rock, or built upon the sand. 

Among the many religions in the world there is only one, 
the religion of the Bible, which is suited to the wants of 
fallen men. This religion sheds light upon those who walk 
in darkness, inspires hope in the breast of the desponding, 
offers pardon to the guilty, confers moral purity upon the 



12 



177 



178 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

unholy, gives peace and joy to the disconsolate, delivers its 
votaries from the fear of death, and reveals to the eye of faith 
the glorious realities of a future life. 

St. Paul, in writing this epistle, addressed his Corinthian 
brethren as a body of true believers ; but his language in the 
text evidently implies that some of them, though nominally 
members of the Church, might be destitute of saving faith. 
For though the religion of the Bible is " able to make men 
wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus/' 
its saving power may be neutralized by the belief of some de- 
structive error, or by a refusal to obey the truth. It was in 
view of these facts that the apostle said, " Examine yourselves 
whether ye be in the faith ; prove your own selves." The 
theme is self-examination in regard to Christian character ; 
and if this duty was necessary in apostolic times, it is equally 
necessary now. In the discussion of the subject we will 
notice both the fact to be ascertained, and its proof. We 
call attention, 

I. To the fact to be ascertained. " Examine your- 
selves whether ye be in the faith" To " be in the faith " is 
to be a child of God by faith ; or, in other words, it is to be 
in possession of the essential attributes of a true Christian. 
It is 

1. To receive the Bible as a revelation from God. St. 
Paul says, " All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, 
and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for 
instruction in righteousness ; that the man of God may be 



SELF EXAMINATION. 179 

perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." (II. 
Tim. 3 : 16, 17.) And again, "God, who at sundry times 
and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by 
the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by His 
Son." (Heb. 1 : 1, 2.) Peter says, " The prophecy came 
not in old time by the will of man ; but holy men of God 
spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." (II. Peter 
1:21.) 

This article of faith — the Divine inspiration of the Holy 
Scriptures, lies at the foundation of our religion ; and though 
it is as provable as that the earth revolves on its own axis, 
the adduction of the proof, in this place, would not be proper. 
We shall only remark, therefore, that as the apostles believed 
and taught this tenet, so we are bound by their example to 
receive the Bible as an inspired book. 

2. To derive our religious creed from the teachings of the 
Bible. If this Book of books is to be made the rule of faith 
in all matters of religion, which is generally admitted, it will 
necessarily follow, that we must know what the teachings of 
the Bible are, before we can form a consistent and intelligent 
creed. 

The manner of some religionists is, to formulate the articles 
of their faith according to their own notions and preconceived 
opinions ; and then to search the Scriptures to find proof for 
their theories. This is a most fruitful source of sectarianism, 
bigotry, and dogmatism. Many imbibe their religious views 
from their parents, guardians, or teachers, without giving 



180 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

themselves the trouble to inquire whether they are, or are not 
taught in the Bible. Such persons may hold the truth ; but 
they have not obeyed the Saviour's command, " Search the 
Scriptures." To gain a knowledge of what we ought to 
believe, we should follow the example of the Bereans, 
" who searched the Scriptures daily, whether " the teachings 
of the apostles were true. 

3. To realize the moral changes which the Bible requires. 
This involves the whole process of a sinner's conversion, from 
a state of nature to a state of grace ; but Ave will notice only 
a few leading and essential facts. The conversion of a sinner 
includes, 

1.) True penitence. Our Lord commenced His public 
ministry by preaching the doctrine of repentance, saying, 
" The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand ; 
repent ye, and believe the Gospel." (Mark 1 : 15.) When 
the apostles were sent forth as messengers of truth, they 
" preached that men should repent." (Mar. 6 : 12.) When 
St. Paul was commissioned to preach the Gospel, "he showed 
first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and through- 
out all the coasts of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that 
they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for 
repentance." (Acts 26 : 20.) Moreover, it is expressly 
asserted, that God " commandeth all men everywhere to 
repent." (Acts 17 : 30.) These Scriptures prove, with suffi- 
cient clearness, that those who are " in the faith," or who 
sustain a filial relation to God, must have passed through the 
experience of evangelical repentance. 



SELF EXAMINATION. 181 

2.) A gracious pardon. Isaiah, in propounding the 
terms on which God bestows pardon, says, " Let the wicked 
forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts ; and 
let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon 
him ; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.' 7 
(Isa. 55:7.) Our Lord taught His disciples that " repent- 
ance and remission of sins should be preached in His name 
among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." (Luke 24 : 47.) 
St. Paul, while preaching Christ in the synagogue of Antioch, 
said, " Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, 
that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness 
of sins; and by Him all that believeth are justified from all 
things." (Acts 13 : 38, 39.) 

3.) Regeneration. Pardon and regeneration are concom- 
itant blessings ; for though they differ in nature, they are 
coetaneous in the Divine administration. Pardon, or justifi- 
cation, is an act of God, by which He graciously absolves a 
sinner from guilt and punishment, and treats him as though 
he were righteous ; but regeneration is a gracious work of the 
Holy Spirit by which a man's evil propensities are subdued, 
and holy affections and inclinations are implanted in his heart. 
The necessity of this moral change is asserted by our Lord 
in the most positive manner : " Verily, verily, I say unto 
thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom 
of God." (John 3 : 3.) But if a man " cannot see the king- 
dom of God " without being born of the Spirit, neither can 
he " be in the faith." If we would walk in the narrow way, 
we must " enter in at the strait gate." 



182 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

4.) To " be in the faith " is, to make the Bible the rule of 
our moral conduct This book contains the most complete 
and God-like system of moral law, which has ever been 
brought to the knowledge of mankind. David says, " The 
law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul : the testimony 
of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of 
the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart ; the commandment of 
the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the 
Lord is clean, enduring for ever; the judgments of the Lord 
are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are 
they than gold, yea, than much fine gold ; sweeter also than 
honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy 
servant warned ; and in keeping of them there is great 
reward." (Psa. 19:7-11.) 

In view of the nature, claims, and tendency of the Divine 
law every faithful Christian can say, as did the Psalmist, " I 
thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto Thy testi- 
monies. I made haste, and delayed not, to keep Thy com- 
mandments." (Psa. 119:59, 60.) Jesus says, "He that 
hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth 
me." (John 14 : 21.) And His beloved disciple declares, in 
his characteristic plainness, " He that saith, I know Him, 
and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth 
is not in him." (I. John 2:4.) 

II. The proof of this fact. " Examine yourselves " 
— " prove your own selves." In the remaining part of our 



SELF EXAMINATION. 183 

discourse we will consider the knowableness of being "in the 
faith/ ' or in a state of grace ; and the criterion by which this 
fact is to be tested. 

1. The knoiuableness of being in a state of grace. That it 
is a knowable fact, may be established by numerous argu- 
ments ; a few of which we will adduce. And 

1.) It is clearly implied in the language of the text: 
" Examine yourselves " — " prove your own selves.' 7 With 
what propriety could men be exhorted to examine themselves 
whether they are, or are not in a state of grace, if the truth 
in the case cannot be ascertained ? As well might they be 
required to tell us whether there are, or are not human beings 
living in the moon. The sacred writers do not trifle with 
men, by exhorting them to do what cannot be done ; and, 
consequently, the exhortation of the text proves that men 
may have a knowledge of their religious status. 

2.) It is believed by the leading Christian denominations. 
It is a well known tenet of Methodism, in all its branches 
throughout the Avorld. Wherever you find a society of this 
denomination, you find those who believe in a " knowledge 
of salvation by the remission of sins," and by the Spirit of 
adoption. 

The Church of England, in her homily on Salvation, 
teaches thus : " The right and true Christian faith is a sure 
trust and confidence which a man hath in God, that by the 
merits of Christ his sins are forgiven, and he reconciled to 
God." 



184 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

The Westminister Confession of Faith, which is the 
standard of doctrine in most of the Presbyterian churches of 
Europe and America, is very clear on this question. From 
it we quote the following passage : " Such as truly believe in 
the Lord Jesus, and love Him in sincerity, endeavoring to 
walk in all good conscience before Him, may in this life be 
certainly assured that they are in a state of grace, and may 
rejoice in hope of the glory of God." (Chap. 18 ; Sec. 1.) 
The same doctrine is taught in the answer to the 36th ques- 
tion of the Shorter Catechism, thus : " The benefits which 
in this life clo accompany or flow from justification, adoption 
and sanctification, are, assurance of God's love, peace of con- 
science, joy in the Holy Ghost, increase of grace, and per- 
severance therein to the end." 

3.) litis knowledge is involved in the realization of convert- 
ing grace. Such is the greatness of this moral change, and 
such are its distinguishing characteristics, that it carries with* 
it, to a greater or less extent, its own evidence. It is a 
change from darkness to light : " For ye were some time 
darkness } but now are ye light in the Lord." (Eph. 5:8.) 
It is a change from death to life : " The hour is coming, and 
now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God ; 
and they that hear shall live." (John 5 : 25.) It is a change 
from penitential sorrow to spiritual joy : "I waited patiently 
for the Lord ; and He inclined unto me, and heard my cry. 
He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the 
miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my 



SELF EXAMINATION. 185 

goings ; and He bath put a new song in my mouth, even 
praise unto our God." (Psa. 40 : 1-3.) It is a change 
from oppressive guilt to a state of justification. The publi- 
can in the Temple did not dare to lift his eyes toward 
heaven, " but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful 
to me a sinner." And yet, "this man went down to his house 
justified." (Luke 18 : 13, 14.) It is a change which is tan- 
tamount to a new creation : "If any man be in Christ, he is 
a new creature ; old things are passed away ; behold, all 
things are become new." (II. Cor. 5:17.) Now, to 
suppose that any man can pass through all this experience, 
without having an evidence of his being in a state of grace, 
is most absurd. 

4.) The knowledge for which we contend is positively 
taught in the Scriptures. Job said, " I know that my 
Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day 
upon the earth : and though after my skin worms destroy 
this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God." Job 19 : 25, 
26.) St. Paul asserts, " We know that if our earthly house 
of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of 
God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." 
(II. Cor. 5:1.) Of Enoch it is written that, " Before his 
translation he had this testimony that he pleased God." 
(Heb. 11 : 5.) St. John claims for Christians, in most 
explicit terms, a knowledge of their religious condition. He 
says, " We know that we have passed from death unto life." 
" We know that we are of the truth." " We know that He 



186 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

abideth in us.' 7 (I. John 3 : 14, 19, 24.) And he says, more- 
over, "We know that we are of God." (I. John 5: 19.) 
But the most emphatic declaration of the apostle, touching 
the question which we are considering, is this: " He that 
believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself." 
(I. John 5 : 10.) 

If we run over these arguments, considering them both 
individually and in their combined force, we can hardly fail 
to see that our proposition is fully sustained — that those who 
are born of the Spirit know they " have passed from death 
unto life," and are "assured that they are in a state of 
grace." 

At this point a very interesting question comes into view, 
and claims attention. It is this : Can any one know when 
he is made a subject of saving grace? Some unhesitatingly 
answer this question in the negative. Even ministers of the 
Gospel may be found who take this position, and therefore 
assert, that those who claim to know 'when they obtained par- 
doning grace are surely deceived. 

But what are the arguments by which this negation is 
supported ? One is, that a child does not know when it is 
born into the world ; therefore, a man cannot know when he 
is born of the Spirit. We freely admit that an infant does 
not know when it is born, for, so far as we can see, it knows 
nothing at all at that period ; but how that fact can prove 
that an intelligent moral agent, conscious of the workings of 
his own mind, cannot know when God makes him a new crea- 



SELF EXAMINATION. 187 

ture, is what Ave cannot conjecture. The absurdity and folly 
of this argument will be seen, if we present the facts 
involved in a syllogistic form, thus : 

A child does not know when it is born ■ 

A man is not a child, but an intelligent moral agent ; 

Therefore a man does not know when he is born of the 
Spirit. 

But Scripture is sometimes quoted, to prove that men can- 
not fix the date of their conversion. One passage employed 
for this purpose is the following : " So is the kingdom of 
God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground ; and 
should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should 
spring and grow up, he knoweth not how." (Mark 4 : 26, 
27.) It is evident, however, that this parable has no refer- 
ence to the question in discussion. What was it that the 
man spoken of did not know ? It was not the time of his 
casting " the seed into the ground, nor the fact of its vegeta- 
tion ; but simply, the manner of its growth. This is a mys- 
tery in the operations of nature which the wisest philosopher 
cannot solve. We may know that seed vegetates, producing 
" first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the 
ear ; " but how this process is carried on, we cannot tell. 
Equally insolvable is the manner in which God carries on 
His work of salvation in the human heart, from its inception 
in regenerating grace, until its culmination in Christian 
maturity ; and this is the lesson, and the only lesson, which 
is taught in the parable. 



188 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

There is another passage of Scripture which has been 
quoted to prove, that a man cannot know when he is born 
again. It is this : " The wind bloweth where it listeth, and 
thou nearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it 
conieth, and whither it goeth : so is every one that is born of 
the Spirit." (John 3 : 8.) But this passage has no allusion, 
whatever to the doctrine contended for. Its teachings, 
viewed in the light of the illustrations employed, are only 
these : First, That God dispenses saving grace according to 
His sovereign will ; " The wind bloweth where it listeth." 
Second, That the regenerate have a knowledge of their 
gracious change ; " Thou nearest the sound thereof." And, 
Third, That the manner of this change is incomprehensible ; 
" But canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth." 

There is not a single passage in the Bible which teaches 
the doctrine, that a man cannot know when he is made a sub- 
ject of saving grace. We freely admit that there are genuine 
Christians, who cannot give the date of their conversion to 
God ; but this does not prove that all are in the same cate- 
gory. As variety characterizes the works of God in nature, 
so it is manifested in the operations of His grace. Some are 
led into the true light so gradually, that they cannot tell 
when they are numbered with the justified ; while others pass 
from death unto life so suddenly, and under circumstances so 
remarkable, that the time of their conversion can never be 
forgotten. 



SELF EXAMINATION. 189 

That examples of the latter are recorded in sacred history, 
no fair and intelligent man will deny. Of such were the 
three thousand, who were converted on the day of Pentecost. 
They heard the Gospel, repented, believed and were added 
to the Church of Christ in a single day. Surely no sane 
man can suppose that they were unconscious of their own 
experience ; or that they did not regard that eventful day as 
the time of their happy conversion. 

A most remarkable conversion was that of Saul of Tarsus, 
recorded in the ninth chapter of Acts. Whether his change 
was effected when Christ appeared to him on his way to 
Damascus, as some claim, or three days afterward when 
Ananias visited him in the city, we will not now attempt to 
determine. The history of the case proves that his conver- 
sion was both sudden and thorough ; and that he had a dis- 
tinct knowledge of its date is evident, from his repeated 
references to the fact and its attendant circumstances in after 
life. 

Are we to suppose that the Ethiopian eunuch, when " on 
his way rejoicing," did not know when he was converted ? 
that those on whom " the Holy Ghost fell," while Peter was 
preaching to them in the house of Cornelius, did not know 
the day of their happy change? that Lydia of Thyatira, 
" whose heart the Lord opened," did not know that to be the 
day of her salvation? and that the Philippian jailer, while 
he " rejoiced, believing in God with all his house," did 



190 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

not know the date of his transition from darkness to light ? 
We answer, No : such contradictions are nowhere taught in 
the holy Scriptures. 

We would not attempt to prove, by human experience, a 
doctrine not taught in the word of God ; but when any one's 
experience is in harmony with the teachings of the Bible, it 
is not to be disregarded. If a thousand Christians should 
testify that they cannot tell when they were born of the Spirit, 
it w T ould not disprove the testimony of those who claim to 
know the time of their conversion. Ignorance of any fact 
cannot set aside a positive knowledge of it ; and though there 
are many true Christians who cannot give the date of their 
spiritual birth, there are thousands who know the time, the 
place, and the means of their conversion. To deny that this 
knowledge is obtainable, is to contradict both Christian ex- 
perience and the teachings of inspired truth. 

To know the precise date of our conversion is not necessary 
to our final salvation ; but it is nevertheless a blessed experi- 
ence, for which we ought to be profoundly thankful to God ; 
because it settles for all time, by a consciousness which can 
hardly be forgotten, the interesting question of our regenera- 
tion. But as our Christianity cannot live upon past experi- 
ences, however clear and satisfactory they may have been, 
both duty and interest require us to examine ourselves, that 
we may know whether we are now "in the faith." This 
leads us to consider, 



SELF EXAMINATION. 191 

2. The criterion by which our Christian character is to be 
tested. " Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ 
is in you, except ye be reprobates. The Greek word, adoKtfiot, 
which is here rendered reprobates, means persons or things 
which are disapproved, rejected, useless, or castaway. The 
metaphor seems to have been taken from the practice of test- 
ing suspected coin, and proving it to be defective. As there 
is counterfeit money, so there may be counterfeit Christians, 
" having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof;" 
and as there is a legal standard for genuine coin, so their is a 
Scriptural standard by which every man's Christianity must 
be tested. If it measures up to Gospel requirements he is 
accepted in the Beloved ;" but if it is deficient in any of its 
essential elements, he is a reprobate in the proper sense of the 
text. To all such the language of Jeremiah, concerning the 
unbelieving Jews of his day, may be fitly applied ; " Repro- 
bate silver shall men call them, because the Lord hath rejected 
them." (Jer. 6 : 30.) Now, since men whose hearts are not 
right in the sight of God may profess to be the disciples of 
Christ, it is a matter of infinite importance that God has 
given us a rule, by the application of which genuine Chris- 
tians can always be distinguished from those who are merely 
nominal. The rule consists in the experimental fact of an 
indwelling Christ. The apostle announces to his Corinthian 
brethren, " Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates." 

That Jesus Christ should condescend to dwell in human 
hearts, is a mysterious and wonderful fact ; nor would we dare 



192 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

to believe it, if it were not Divinely attested. Jesus says, 
" If a man love me, he will keep my words ; and my Father 
will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our 
abode with him." (John 14 : 23.) The same doctrine is 
taught in those Scriptures which claim the human body to be 
the temple of God. Thus, " Know ye not that your body 
is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you ?" (I. Cor. 
6:19.) Again, " Ye are the temple of the living God; as 
God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them • and 
I will be their God, and they shall be my people." (II. 
Cor. 6:16.) As God filled the Tabernacle and Jewish 
Temple with the symbol of His presence, so He dwells in the 
Christian Church, which is His house on earth, and in the 
heart of every faithful member. St. Paul says, u I am cru- 
cified with Christ ; nevertheless I live ; yet not I, but Christ 
liveth in me." (Gal. 2 : 20.) Moreover, Jesus says, " Be- 
hold, I stand at the door, and knock ; if any man hear my 
voice, and open the door, I will come into him, and will sup 
with him, and he with me." (Rev. 3 : 20.) 

We have now seen that the dwelling of Christ in His 
people is a Scriptural doctrine ; and also, that it is an essen- 
tial element of Christian character. Hence it is highly proper 
that this fact should be made the touch-stone of our self-exam- 
ination. We do not claim, however, that Jesus Christ is in 
His people in a literal sense. The language by which this in- 
dwelling is expressed is doubtless figurative ; the name of 
Christ being employed to designate the saving work which 



SELF EXAMINATION. 193 

He performs, by the agency of the Holy Spirit, in all who 
receive Him by faith. " As the leaven, which a woman took, 
and hid in three measures of meal," imparted its own nature 
to the entire mass ; so Christ works in those who come to 
Him for life, until they are made " partakers of the Divine 
nature." This personal salvation, in all its stages, may be 
consciously recognized as a matter of Christian experience. 

And now, that we may give aid to those who desire to 
engage in the work of self-examination, we will offer a few 
remarks, in regard to the manner in which Jesns Christ 
usually reveals Himself in the experience of those whom He 
saves. 

(1.) He leads them, in penitential sorrow, to the foot of 
the cross, where He bestows upon them pardon and renewing 
grace. St. John asserts, " As many as received Him, to 
them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them 
that believe on His name ; which were born, not of blood, 
nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of 
God." (John 1:12, 13.) 

(2.) He comes to them as a witnessing Spirit, testifying 
their filial relation to God. Hence St. Paul says, " Because 
ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into 
your hearts, crying, Abba, Father." (Gal. 4:6.) 

(3.) He gives them spiritual rest and peace. Come unto 
me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give 
you rest." (Matt. 11 : 28.) " Peace I leave with you, my 



194 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

peace I give unto you ; not as the world giveth, give I unto 
you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." 
(John 14 : 27.) " Being justified by faith, we have peace with 
God through our Lord Jesus Christ." 

(4.) He gives them victory over sin. " Reckon ye your- 
selves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through 
Jesus Christ our Lord." " For sin shall not have dominion 
over you." " But now being made free from sin, and become 
servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the 
end everlasting life." (Rom. 6 : 11, 14, 22.) 



The Home of the Blessed. 



In Thy presence is fullness of joy ; at Thy right hand there 
are pleasures of evermore." (Psa. 16 : 11.) 

There is implanted, in the human heart a strong and in- 
eradicable desire of happiness ; and though perfect happiness 
has never been attained by any one in this life, yet all are 
looking forward to a time, and to circumstances, in which 
they hope to realize the bliss for which they sigh. Judging, 
however, from matters of fact in human history, an order 
exactly the reverse of this is to be expected. The older men 
grow, the more they become entangled in business, burdened 
with cares, and oppressed by mental and bodily infirmities ; 
and though their years may be many, they must retire from 
the stage of life, bearing witness to the correctness of the 
inspired declaration, that "All is vanity and vexation of 
spirit." 

Nor will piety secure men from the common ills of life. 
It is true, " Godliness is profitable unto all things/' and 
renders life not only tolerable, but even desirable. The 
most pious, however, are often subjects of sore affliction, and, 
like Job and Lazarus, are made to receive "evil things," 
while many of the wicked live in ease, and abound in 
temporal good. 

195 



196 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

Now if God intended that man's conscious existence should 
be terminated by death, his life would be an insolvable rid- 
dle, and his condition incompatible with the Divine attributes. 
Hence we have ground to believe, even on the principles of 
reason, that our conscious existence shall be continued beyond 
death ; and that we shall become the subjects of a future 
retribution, in which both the righteous and the wicked shall 
" eat the fruit of their doings." 

But, in forming our notions of a future state, we are not 
left to the guidance of " reason's glimmering ray." We 
have the testimony of Divine revelation, which brings life 
and immortality to light, spreads out before the way-worn 
pilgrim a map of the heavenly Canaan, and promises the 
godly an eternal weight of glory beyond the gloomy vale of 
death. Thus instructed by God's inspiration the royal 
Psalmist could sing, " My flesh shall rest in hope : for 
Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell ; (the place of the dead) 
neither wilt Thou suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption. 
Thou wilt show me the path of life : in Thy presence is 
fullness of joy ; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for 
evermore." 

Regarding the text which we have announced as being 
descriptive of the future happiness of the redeemed, we will 
consider, first, the place of their abode ; and secondly, the 
nature of their enjoyments. We call attention 



THE HOME OF THE BLESSED. 197 

I. To the place of their abode. Respecting this, 
two things are to be shown ; first, that it will be a local resi- 
dence ; and secondly, that it will be a place of unspeakable 
beauty and grandeur. 

1. It will be a local residence. We know that this state- 
ment comes in collision with a modern refinement, which 
supposes heaven to be a state of enjoyment, and not a place. 
But that the future home of the righteous will be a place, as 
well as a state of enjoyment, may be argued from several 
considerations. 

1.) From the language of our Lord respecting it. He 
said to His disciples, " In my Father's house are many 
mansions ; if it were not so I would have told you. I go to 
prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place 
for you I will come again, and receive you unto myself; 
that where I am, there ye may be also. 7 ' (John 14 : 2, 3.) 
Again He said, when praying to the Father, " I will that 
they also, whom Thou hast given me, be with me, where I am ; 
that they may behold my glory." (John 17 : 24.) To say, 
therefore, that the future home of the saints will not be a 
local heaven, is to contradict the obvious teachings of our 
Lord : and to say that His language, in regard to the subject 
before us, is not to be taken in its literal sense, would be to 
dishonor the world's great prophet, who came to " bear 
witness unto the truth." 

2.) From the personal existence of the subjects of future 
In this life, every man is a separate and distinct 



198 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

personality ; of whom consciousness, moral agency, and 
locality may be truthfully affirmed : and there is no proof 
that, in these respects, he will be differently constituted in 
the world to come. It is true when a man dies there is a 
complete separation between soul and body ; and he passes 
into the eternal world a disembodied spirit ; bat even in this 
condition we cannot think of him, without assigning to him 
locality. Whatever exists at all, must either fill immensity 
of space, or be confined to some portion of space. But as no 
one in his right mind will predicate omnipresence of the 
human soul, when separated from the human body, we are 
forced to the conclusion, that the " spirits of just men 
made perfect " shall enjoy a local habitation in the world to 
come ; or a place of blessedness, as well as a state. 

This appears still more evident, when we consider, that 
after the resurrection at the last day, the glorified saints shall 
possess material bodies ; for, though St. Paul asserts that the 
natural body which dies shall be " raised a spiritual body/ 7 
he does not mean that it will be immaterial. His meaning is, 
that the resurrected bodies of the saints shall be so recon- 
structed and modified, as to be perfectly adapted to a life of 
immortality, and of spiritual exercises and enjoyments. 
Nevertheless, they shall still continue to be material ; for 
such is the difference between matter and spirit, that one can 
never be changed into the other. 

The resurrected body of our Lord was the same body 
which died upon the cross, as His interview with Thomas 
clearly proves. To deny that it was His crucified body 



THE HOME OF THE BLESSED. 199 

would be to charge the immaculate Redeemer with down- 
right duplicity. In this same body, changed, however, and 
fitted for its heavenly home, He ascended to the Father ; and 
in like manner shall all His people, with their bodies " fash- 
ioned like unto His glorious body," ascend to heaven, and 
" ever be with the Lord." 

3.) From the idea of an assemblage of saints in heaven, 
Jesus says, " They shall come from the east, and from the 
west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit 
down in the kingdom of God." (Luke 13 : 29.) Matthew 
reports Him as saying that they " shall sit down with Abra- 
ham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven." St. 
John, speaking of the redeemed in the upper sanctuary, uses 
this language : " I beheld, and lo, a great multitude, which 
no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and 
people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the 
Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands ; 
and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God 
which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb." (Rev. 
7 : 9, 10.) These Scriptures alone, if we allow them to mean 
what they express, are sufficient to establish the fact of a 
local heaven. 

We will not pretend to say where, in the vast empire of 
God, the future home of the saints will be. It is often 
spoken of as being above us, but this language conveys no 
well defined idea respecting its locality ; for the point which 
is now directly over our heads will, in a few hours, be under 



200 GOSPEL TIDIXGS. 

our feet. Some have conjectured that it will be in the sun ; 
while others think that the earth will be restored to its Par- 
adisaical condition, and be the future abode of the redeemed. 
But in regard to the locality of heaven, the only fact which 
seems to be clearly deducible from the Scriptures is, that it 
lies entirely beyond the limits of the visible creation. St. 
Paul tells us, when speaking of our Lord's exaltation, that 
" He ascended up far above all heavens." (Eph. 4 : 10.) 
Here, by the term heavens, we are to understand the aerial 
and the starry heavens ; but beyond these the Jews reckoned 
a third heaven, which they regarded as " the home of the 
angels and God." 

That there is a place where God eminently dwells, and 
where He reveals Himself to His intelligent creatures in a 
most glorious manner, is an opinion which has been enter- 
tained in all ages, and is in perfect harmony with revealed 
religion. David says, " The Lord hath prepared His throne 
in the heavens." (Psa. 103 : 19.) "Thus saith the high 
and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy ; 
I dwell in the high and holy plaee." (Isa. 57:15.) This 
" holy place is what our Lord called His Father's house." 
It is the place to which He ascended when He left the world 
and in which He now reigns King of kings, and Lord of 
lords. And this is the place, in whatever part of the uni- 
verse it is located, where the people of God shall find their 
everlasting home. The text teaches us that they shall be in 
the presence of God ; and Jesus says, " Where I am, there 
shall also my servant be." 



THE HOME OF THE BLESSED. 201 

2. The home of the glorified will he a 'place of unspeakable 
beauty and grandeur. To convey to us some suitable idea of 
it, the most striking figures have been employed by the 
sacred writers. It is some times spoken of under the name 
of Paradise, that delightful garden which God prepared by 
His own hand, to be the earthly obode of His innocent chil- 
dren. Who has not felt a lively interest in the history 
of the original Paradise ? Imagination dwells with 
peculiar delight, upon its flowery meads, its sylvan shade, its 
limpid waters, and its delicious fruits. It takes in with 
pleasurable emotions, the serenity of the sky, the splendor of 
its sunshine, the purity and sweetness of its atmosphere, and 
the surpassing beauty of its scenery. But the Garden of 
Eden, clothed in all the charms with which imagination can 
invest it, is only a faint representation of the beauty and 
grandeur of the heavenly home. 

St. John gives us a glowing account of the final abode of 
the righteous, under the figure of an extensive and magnifi- 
cent city. He tells us that its foundation consists of twelve 
different kinds of precious stones ; that on this foundation 
rests a jasper wall two hundred and sixteen feet high; that 
the city is in cubic form, " the length and breadth and height 
of it " being the same, and measuring fifteen hundred miles ; 
that its buildings and streets are all of pure gold; that its 
twelve gates are twelve pearls, and the keepers thereof twelve 
angels ; that " the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the 
temple of it : and that " the city has no need of the sun, 



202 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

neither of the moon, to shine in it ; for the glory of God doth 

lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof." (Rev. 

21 : 22, 23.) 

We do not claim that this discription should be understood 

it its literal sense ; nevertheless we receive it as a Divinely 

inspired delineation of our heavenly home, intended for our 

instruction in regard to the future state. We may not be 

able to take in the full meaning of the imagery employed by 

the sacred writer ; for it is not to be expected that we can, 

while dwelling on earth, fully comprehend eternal realities. 

But his description of the heavenly city is so beautiful, so 

grand, so impressive, that it should incline every Christian to 

" set his affection on things above ; " and to sing with the 

poet, 

" When shall I reach that happy place, 

And be forever blest ? 

When shall I see my Father's face, 

And in His bosom rest ? " 

In considering the future happiness of the saints we will 
call attention, 

II. To THE NATURE OF THEIR ENJOYMENTS. It is to 

be expected that, until our bodies shall have put on immor- 
tality, this subject must be involved in more or less obscur- 
ity. Many are inclined to think, that the joys of the future 
life shall somewhat resemble the pleasures of time ; and 
therefore they hope to realize, beyond the grave, that kind of 
gratification which they hold most dear on earth. The 
untaught Indian, believing the future world to be an extended 



THE HOME OF THE BLESSED. 203 

forest, abounding in all kinds of game, hopes to realize his 
highest enjoyment in hunting the buffalo, the deer and other 
objects of chase. The enslaved African, far away from the 
place which gave him birth, expects to return, after death, to 
his native land, and to enjoy the society of his relatives aud 
friends. Men who live in the indulgence of appetite expect 
to obtain a heaven of sensual pleasures. The indolent, and 
those who are exhaustsd by labor, regard rest or freedom 
from employment as their greatest good ; and they suppose, 
therefore, that the happiness of heaven will consist in a state 
of quiescence. 

A little investigation, however, will convince every impar- 
tial thinker, that the happiness of heaven, though sometimes 
represented by earthly pleasures, must be of a nature entirely 
different. Experience tells us that earthly pleasures cannot 
give permanent enjoyment ; for, whatever their causes may 
be, after they are in possession for a time, they lose their 
power to please ; and thus pleasure is followed by satiety, 
and some times even by disgust. We conclude, therefore, 
that the future happiness of the saints, which is to be unin- 
terrupted and eternal, must be more pure, more spiritual, and 
of an infinitely higher order than we can realize on earth ; 
and though we may not be able, while in the flesh, fully to 
comprehend its nature, we may draw from the teachings of 
the Bible most consoling conclusions respecting it. Two 
things are clearly revealed ; First, That the redeemed shall 
be delivered from the evils of the present life ; and, Secondly, 
That they shall be largely rewarded with positive good. 



204 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

1. They shall be delivered from the evils of the present life. 
Though God delivers His people, while on their pilgrim 
journey, from a thousand evils, it is only when they reach 
their promised rest that the prayer which Jesus taught His 
disciples, " Deliver us from evil," shall be answered in its 
highest sense. Then they shall be delivered, 

1.) From bodily infirmities. These bodies of ours, 
though " fearfully and wonderfully made," and declaring, as 
they do, the wisdom, the power, and the benevolence of God, 
are nevertheless, through the introduction of sin, the s at of 
many and sore afflictions. They are subject to hunger, and 
thirst ; to winter's cold and summer's heat ; to weariness 
from labor, and pain from disease ; and to a thousand acci- 
dents which render life a burden. They necessarily become 
enfeebled by age, disqualified for the duties of life, and 
finally return to the dust from which they were taken. But 
they who shall be accounted worthy to enter into life eternal 
shall be entirely freed from all these evils. Their bodies 
shall be raised to life, immortalized, and " fashioned like 
unto Christ's glorious body ;■" and shall be perfectly adapted 
to holy exercises and spiritual enjoyments. " They shall 
hunger no more, neither thirst any more." (Rev. 7 : 16.) 
" God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes ; and there 
shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither 
shall there be any more pain ; for the former things are 
passed away." (Rev. 21 : 4.) In that assembly, redeemed 
from sin and all its consequences, there shall be seen no help- 



THE HOME OF THE BLESSED. 205 

less infant, demanding the care of a fond and anxious 
parent ; no decrepit patriarch, bowing under the weight of 
toilsome } T ears ; no subject of disease, with emaciated form 
and pallid countenance ; but personal perfection, eternal 
youth, and blooming health shall be enjoyed alike by all. 
■ 2.) From mental imbecilities. That the fall of man 
exerted an unfavorable influence upon his mental powers, can 
hardly be doubted by any one who believes the Mosiac his- 
tory, or has gained a knowledge of human condition. It is 
at the expense of much labor and study that we gain a 
knowledge of surrounding objects ; and this knowledge, in 
most cases, is very imperfect. Even among those who 
devote themselves to the study of philosophy and religion, 
great errors are entertained. But w r e have reason to believe 
that in heaven the soul will commence its endless career, with 
an intellect redeemed from error, and clear as the light. 
For, it will not only be restored to that degree of strength, 
and clearness of perception, which belonged to Adam in his 
primitive state ; but as the body shall be changed, refined, 
and glorified, to fit it for its heavenly home, so it is to be 
expected that the soul shall realize a corresponding change, 
in all its powers and capabilities. St. Paul says, " IS"ow we 
see through a glass, darkly ; but then face to face : now I 
know in part, but then shall I know even as also I am 
known." (I. Cor. 13 : 12.) 

3.) From moral depravation. It is both the duty and 
the privilege of the Christian, even in this life, to love God 
supremely, and to obey His commandments ; but though he 



206 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

may, through grace, arrive at this exalted state of holiness, 
he shall still feel the necessity of constant watchfulness, and 
continued exertion, to counteract the evil tendencies of his 
fallen nature. His experience is fitly expressed by the poet : 
" Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, 
Prone to leave the God I love." 

But in heaven no such tendency shall ever disturb the 
peace of the redeemed j for they shall be wholly delivered 
from the ruins of the fall, and restored to a state of perfect 
moral purity. Of them it is asserted, "They have washed 
their robes, and made them white in the blood of the lamb." 
(Rev. 7 : 14.) They are spoken of as being " arrayed in fine 
linen, clean and white ; " the fine linen representing " the 
righteousness of the saints." 

4.) From the society and the example of the ungodly. That 
the practices of wicked men are a source of affliction to the 
pious, both Scripture and experience prove. They cannot 
hear the name of God blasphemed, or see His holy Sabbaths 
desecrated, or witness the gross inattention to our holy 
religion and its sacred ordinances which almost everywhere 
abounds, or behold the ungodly deeds which are daily com- 
mitted in the light of the sun, without dropping a tear, or 
heaving a sigh. This feeling of sorrow is forcibly expressed 
by the Psalmist, when he says, " Rivers of waters run down 
mine eyes, because they keep not Thy law." (Psa. 119 : 136.) 
But in that better land none of these causes of afflidion shall 
exist ; for " there the wicked cease from troubling, and the 
weary are at rest." (Job. 3:17.) 



THE HOME OF THE BLESSED. 207 

5.) From the temptations of Satan. The best of men, 
while in this world, are liable to be tempted by the enemy 
of all good ; who, " as a roaring lion, walketh about, seek- 
ing whom he may devour." (I. Peter 5 : 8.) The language 
of Christ to the disciples may be truthfully addressed to all 
Christians : " Satan desires to have you, that he might sift 
you as wheat." (Luke 22:31.) Even Christ Himself was 
tempted of the Devil. He " was in all points tempted like 
as we are ; " and the servant cannot hope to be above his 
Lord. But that innumerable company redeemed from earth, 
and saved in heaven, shall be quite beyond the reach of 
Satanic power. The hour of the good man's death is the 
hour of his final victory over all infernal agency. Satan 
may follow him even to the chamber where he " meets his 
fate," but further he cannot go : — all beyond is heaven. 

2. They shall be largely rewarded with ptositive good. To 
be delivered from the evils of the present life would be, in itself, 
a great salvation'; but the abounding grace of God stops not 
at this point : He Himself becomes the portion of His people 
and whatever He can bestow upon them to heighten and perfect 
their bliss, will be most freely and graciously given. " He 
gave His only begotten Son," not only that men might " not 
perish " but that they might " have everlasting life." " He 
that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us 
all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things ? " 
(Rom. 8 : 32.) Christ asserts that His servants shall enter 
into the joy of their Lord ; and that He will give them a crown 



208 THE HOME OF THE BLESSED. 

of life. St. Paul calls the Christian's reward an eternal 
weight of glory ; while Peter presents it under the figure of 
an inheritance, which is " incorruptible, and undented, and that 
fadeth not away." (I. Peter 1 : 4.) These positive rewards 
are clearly alluded to in the language of the text. u In Thy 
presence is fullness of joy; at Thy right hand there are 
pleasures for evermore" 

These two terms, joy and pleasure, are so nearly related in 
meaning, that one seems to imply the other ; and yet strictly 
speaking, they are not synonymous. Joy is a pleasurable 
feeling, arising from the reception and possesion of what is 
peculiarly grateful. Pleasure cousists in the gratification of 
all our desires, whether of body or mind. The text, 
therefore, taking all its terms into consideration, teaches two 
important and glorious facts respecting the blessedness of the 
saints in heaven. 

1.) That it will be complete and perfect. It is therefore 
called a " fullness of joy." The desires" of the redeemed, 
which must be in perfect harmony with the will of God, 
shall all be gratified to their largest extent. Christ shall 
feed His saints, " and shall lead them to fountains of living 
water ; " and they shall drink of the river of God's pleasure. 
The humble Christian may sometimes realize, even in this 
world of sorrow, "joy unspeakable and full of glory ; " but 
the saints in heaven shall experience a fulness of joy, which 
saints upon earth never knew : joy, raised to its highest 
degree, and expressing itself iu songs of heaven inspired 
delight. But we remark, 



THE HOME OF THE BLESSED. 209 

(2.) That it will be eternal in its duration. " Pleasures 
for evermore/' Jesus says, " My sheep hear my voice, and 
I know them, and they follow me : and I give unto them 
eternal life ; and they shall never perish." (John 10 : 27, 28.) 
Let infidels try to get rid of their immorality, or reason 
themselves into the belief, that they shall pass away like 
the beasts which perish ; but to those who love God, one of 
the most consoling facts in their experience is, that they hope 
to live forever in the presence of Him who redeemed them. 

It is the opinion of many that the happiness of the saints, 
in the future life, will be progressive. We know, that in this 
life, the capacity of the soul for spiritual enjoyment is in- 
creased by holy exercises ; and may we not conclude that the 
continuance of such exercises, under more favorable surround- 
ings, will still increase this capacity? If, therefore, the 
capacity for enjoyment be susceptible of progressive enlarge- 
ment, and the sources of gratification be infinite and inex- 
haustible, as we believe they shall be, an ever growing 
happiness must necessarily follow, as the portion of the 
saints in light. May God grant, in His infinite mercy, that 
that may be our eternal home ! 



14 



Eternal Life by the Cross, 



" As If oses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must 
the Son of man be lifted up ; that whosoever believeth in 
Him should not perish, but have eternal life" (John 
3 : 14.) 

On the announcement of the text the question will natur- 
ally arise in the mind of the hearer, was the brazen serpent, 
which Moses lifted up in the wilderness, a type of Christ ? 
On this question theologians are divided in opinion ; some 
taking the affirmative, and others the negative. The former 
argue from the analogy between the institution of the brazen 
serpent as a remedy for the wounded Israelites, and the in- 
terposition of Jesus Christ for the salvation of sinners ; and 
also, from the fact, that our Lord alluded to the lifting up of 
the serpent, as being indicative of the manner of His death. 
The latter tell us that there are three essential elements in 
every type ; first, it must relate to something future ; 
secondly, it must fitly point out the object to which it relates ; 
and thirdly, it must be evidently designed, on the part of 
God, to represent its antitype. But as there is no evidence 
that God intended the brazen serpent to be a type of Christ, 
they therefore conclude that it should not be so regarded. 



210 



ETERNAL LIFE BY THE CEOSS. 211 

But whether we believe, or do not believe in the typical 
character of the brazen serpent, one thing is undeniable, that 
our Lord employed this portion of Jewish history, to illus- 
trate the manner in which He should redeem the world, and 
the conditions on which perishing sinners may become per- 
sonally and savingly interested in His redeeming work. " As 
Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must 
the son of man be lifted up ; that whosoever believeth in 
Him should not perish, but have eternal life." We will now 
proceed to notice, 

I. A FEW POINTS OF ANALOGY BETWEEN THE INSTITU- 
TION OF THE BRAZEN SERPENT, AND THE REDEEMING 

work of Jesus Christ. These events correspond, 

1. In their necessity. The journeying Israelites, by mur- 
muring " against God, and against Moses," had called down 
upon themselves the Divine displeasure ; " and the Lord sent 
fiery serpents among them, and they bit the people ; and 
much people of Israel died." (Num. 21 : 6.) We may well 
suppose that they employed every possible meaiis to remove 
the curse which had fallen upon them, and to save the life of 
those who were bitten ; but human means were unavailing, 
so that the whole camp of Israel must have perished, if God 
had not, in His infinite mercy, provided a remedy. 

In these facts we have an impressive representation of our 
fallen and ruined condition, through the agency of " that old 
serpent, called the Devil, and Satan ;" a condition which 
places us beyond the reach of human help. Fallen man had 



212 GOSPEL TIDIXGS. 

neither the skill nor the power to save himself from the 
dreadful consequences of transgression ; and hence we see the 
necessity of a Divinely appointed remedy. "Even so must 
the Son of Man be lifted up ;" that is, He must die upon the 
cross ; for this lifting up of the Son of Man refers to the 
manner of His death. He said, " And I, if I be lifted up 
from the earth, will draw all men unto me f to which the 
apostle adds, "This He said, signifying what death He 
should die." (John 12 : 32, 33.) 

But why was it necessary that Christ should die ? It was 
not, as some affirm, to fulfil prophesy ; for the necessity ex- 
isted before the event was predicted. The purpose of God to 
redeem the world by the gift of His only begotten Son must 
have originated in the necessity of the case; and that purpose 
must have preceded all prophesy respecting the work of re- 
demption, the prediction must be regarded as an effect in the 
redeeming plan, and not a necessitating cause. Why then, 
we again ask, was it necessary for Christ to die, in order that 
man might be redeemed ? We reply ; this necessity resulted 
from two facts : one is, that God regarded His fallen children 
with infinite compassion, and a willingness to save them ; 
and the other, that the only means of their recovery lay in 
the incarnation and sacrificial death of His beloved Son. 

The first of these two propositions, being a clearly revealed 
Gospel truth, cannot be denied, and need not be argued ; but 
to the second it is sometimes objected that to suppose the re- 
deeming work of Christ to be the only means of human 



ETERNAL LIFE BY THE CROSS. 213 

recovery, is to limit the Almighty ; whereas, for aught we 
know, He may have had various means at His command. 
Our reply is this : To say that God cannot act contrary to 
His own perfections is not to limit Him, but merely to assert 
a truth which is clearly implied in His infinite attributes. For 
example, " God cannot lie ;" Why not ? because He is " the 
Lord God of truth." He cannot be unjust; because "justice 
and judgment are the habitation of His throne." So we may 
say, He cannot act unwisely ; for infinite wisdom is one of 
His essential attributes. 

Now, it must be admitted by all men, that the offering of 
the eternal Son of God for man's redemption was an infinite 
sacrifice. None could have been greater; none could have 
been equal. Consequently, if any other sacrifice could have 
accomplished the same benevolent end, it must have been one 
of a lower order, and of less value. But to say that God 
selected the most costly sacrifice, when one of less value would 
have secured the same object, is to cast a reflection upon His 
infinite wisdom. No wise man will pay a thousand dollars 
for an object which he can purchase for five hundred. We 
conclude, therefore, that as God, in His infinite wisdom, gave 
His only begotten Son for the redemption of fallen man, no 
other means could have secured this end. While this conclusion 
is rational, it is also in perfect accord with the teachings of 
Scripture. Jesus said, " Thus it is written, and thus it be- 
hooved (was necessary for,) Christ to suffer, and to rise from 
the dead the third clay." (Luke 24 : 46.) And St. Peter, 



214 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

while preaching Christ to a Jewish congregation, said, 
" Neither is there salvation in any other ; for there is none 
other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must 
be saved." (Acts 4:12.) If the mediation of Jesus Christ 
was the only possible means of human redemption, as we 
verily believe, then, the purpose of God to redeem mankind 
involved the necessity of the incarnation, sufferings, and death 
of His beloved Son. 

2. These events agree, to some extent, in their design. By 
the appointment of the brazen serpent two inestimable 
benefits were secured to the wounded Israelites. They were 
saved from death, and restored to health. It is a saying of 
general application, though uttered by Satan, " All that a 
man hath will he give for his life ; and yet, men may be in 
a condition of bodily or mental suffering, or both, which in- 
clines them to desire death, rather than life. But to be 
restored to perfect health, from the " very gates of the grave," 
is a most pleasurable experience ; and such must have been 
the experience of the bitten Israelites, by the lifting up of 
the brazen serpent. In like manner, the Son of Man was 
lifted up, "that whosoever believeth in Him should not 
perish, but have eternal life." There is, therefore, through 
the cross of the Redeemer, a double benefit realized by every 
one who believes in Him. 

1.) He is saved from perishing. But what is it to perish ? 
It is not to be annihilated or blotted out of existence, as 
some have taught, and tried to prove ; for though there is a 



ETERNAL LIFE BY THE CROSS. 215 

point of time when every man begins to exist, the time will 
never come, when his existence shall be terminated. This is a 
most solemn thought, and one which should both alarm the 
transgressor, and urge the believer to make his calling and 
election sure ; but to perish, in the sense of the text, is to live 
and die unpardoned ; to pass, at death, into a place of tor- 
ment • to stand, in the final day, among the guilty on the 
left hand of the Judge ; and thence to " go away into ever- 
lasting punishment." From all this evil the believer in 
Christ is graciously redeemed. 

2.) He is put in possession of eternal life. If the atone- 
ment had done nothing more than to save men from perish- 
ing, the favor would have been of incalculable value. To 
live forever in this world, even subject to all the evils which 
we now endure, would be infinitely better, than to suffer " the 
vengeance of eternal fire." But it has done more than to 
save us from perishing ; it has made eternal life obtainable 
by all who believe on our Lord Jesus Christ. The phrase, 
" eternal life," comprehends in its meaning, 

(1.) A state of grace in the present life. Thus Jesus said, 
" My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they fol- 
low me ; and I give unto them eternal life." (John 10 : 27, 
28.) Again, " This is life eternal, that they might know 
Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast 
sent." (John 17 : 3.) Here we are taught that eternal life 
consists in a knowlege of God the Father, and of His Son, 
Jesus Christ. The same doctrine is presented by St. John, 



216 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

when he says, " God hath given to ns eternal life, and this 
life is in His Son." (I. John 5:11.) This state of grace is 
called eternal life, because, First, It is the same in nature as 
the life of heaven ; and Second, God intends it to be perpet- 
uated in the world to come. 

(2.) A condition of perfect blessedness in the life to come. 
This will be life eternal in the highest acceptation of the 
phrase ; but as eternal realities lie beyond the domain of 
sense, we can now know nothing of them, except by Divine 
revelation ; and though God has graciously revealed to us 
many interesting and glorious truths in regard to the future 
life, there are doubtless many others which must remain un- 
known to us, until we gain our heavenly home. " It doth 
not yet appear what we shall be ; but we know that, when 
He (Christ) shall appear, we shall be like Him ; for we shall 
see Him as He is." (I. John 3 : 2.) We know, moreover, 
that this heavenly life implies a purified spirit, a resurrected 
and glorified body, and an endless state of ineffable felicity in 
the presence of God, and of His holy angels. 

3. These events agree in their moving cause. The suffer- 
ing Israelites had no claim upon the Divine benevolence ; for 
they had done wickedly in speaking against the Lord, and 
against His servant Moses. Wherefore the " Lord sent fiery 
serpents among them," the bite of which was mortal, as a 
just punishment for their wickedness ; and had. not Moses 
interceded for them, they must all have perished. But 
" Moses prayed for the people ;" God, in answer to his 



ETERNAL LIFE BY THE CROSS. 217 

prayer, graciously provided for them a sovereign remedy in 
the institution of the brazen serpent. By grace, therefore? 
they were saved. 

The redemption of fallen man through the mediation of 
Jesus Christ came to us on the same principle. " God so 
loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that 
whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have ever- 
lasting life." (John 3 : 16.) " Not by works of righteous- 
ness which we have done, but according to His mercy He 
saved us." (Titus 3 : 5.) St. John says, "Here in is love, not 
that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son 
to be the propitiation for our sins." (I. John 4 : 10.) 

11 Grace first contrived a way 

To save rebellious man ; 
And all the steps that grace display, 

Which drew the wondrous plan." 

4. There is also an agreement between these two remedies, 
in the manner of their exhibition. The serpent was elevated 
on a pole, in the midst of the Jewish camp, that it might be 
seen by the whole congregation ; and that the sufferer, while 
able to fix upon it his languid eye, might realize a cure. 
Even so, the Son of Man was lifted up, by being nailed to 
the cross, and dying on Mount Calvary ; that, in fulfillment 
of His own prediction, He might become the center of 
moral attraction to the whole world, drawing all men unto 
Him. 

We believe that the death of Christ was absolutely neces- 
sary to man's redemption ; but we will not assert that the 



218 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

manner of His death was equally necessary to this benevo- 
lent end. The inspired testimony is, that " by wicked hands" 
He was "crucified and slain ; " and we cannot believe that 
wickedness, under the Divine administration, ever was, or 
ever will be necessary. God undoubtedly foreknew that the 
Jews would crucify His incarnate Son ; but He foreknew 
also, with equal clearness, that the tragic event could be so 
overruled as to cause "the wrath of man " to praise Him, 
and the cross to become the glory both of the Redeemer and 
the redeemed. 

It is evident that the enemies of our Lord desired more 
than merely His death. Their repeated cry was, therefore, 
" Let Him be crucified." They supposed that if they could 
procure his condemnation as a malefactor and His cru- 
cifixion among thieves, His name would be involved 
in eternal disgrace ; and consequently, that His rising 
kingdom would be crushed out of existence, and His 
disciples scattered to the four winds. But in vain did the 
Jewish rulers take counsel together, against the Lord's 
Anointed ! They did not know, when nailing Him to the 
cross, that they were about to raise a monument to His 
memory, which should bear His name, and indicate His 
redeeming work to all succeeding generations of men. Nor 
did they think that they were about to unfurl a standard 
which should float in the breezes of every clime and country 
under heaven, until the multiplied millions of earth shall ac- 
knowledged Jesus Christ as their Redeemer, and " rally 
round the cross." 



ETERNAL LIFE BY THE CROSS. 219 

5. These events agree also, in the conditions on which their 
benefits are realized. The wounded Israelites obtained a cure 
by looking at the brazen serpent. The sacred historian tells 
us that, "if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld 
the serpent of brass, he lived." (jSTurn. 21:9.) So sinners, 
in like manner, are saved from sin and death by looking to 
Christ in the exercise of faith. He was " lifted up, that who- 
soever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal 
life." The condition on which the bitten Israelites obtained a 
cure is a forcible illustration of the terms on which God 
saves sinners. To make this evident, it is only necessary to 
remark, 

1.) That the sacred writers often designate mental exer- 
cises, by terms expressive of physical sensation. The Psalmist 
says, " O taste and see that the Lord is good." (Psa. 34 : 8.) 
And again, he prays, " Open Thou mine eyes, that I may 
behold wondrous things out of Thy law." (Psa. 119 : 18.) 
In like manner, God says, by His prophet, " Look unto me, 
and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth." (Isa. 45 : 22.) 
To taste, to see, to behold, and to look, all carry with them, 
as they are here employed, the idea of faith ; which is a nec- 
essary condition, and the only condition, of a sinner's justifi- 
cation before God. " He that believeth on Him (Christ) is 
not condemned : " that is, he is justified ; " but he that 
believeth not is condemned already." 

2.) That all ivho looked upon the brazen serpent were 
healed. It mattered not what their condition was, whether 
they had been recently bitten, or were writhing in the agonies 



220 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

of death; if they could fix their eyes upon the serpent of 
brass they lived, and were restored to their wonted health. 
And, in like manner, perishing sinners are saved from endless 
death, and put in possession of eternal life, by looking in 
faith to Jesus Christ. "All that believe are justified from all 
things." (Acts 13 : 39.) " Christ is the end of the law for 
righteousness to every one that believeth." (Rom. 10 : 4.) 

Why God required the lifting up of the serpent in the 
wilderness as a means of restoring the wounded Israelites, is 
a question to which it is not easy to give a satisfactory 
answer. We believe, however, that the matter may be placed 
in a light which will remove every serious difficulty. 

Every attentive reader of the Bible must know, that many 
of the wonderful words of God were performed in connection 
with means, which, in the nature of things, could not be the 
efficient causes of the effects produced. Thus, when the Red 
Sea was to be divided, that the people of God might pass 
through it ; or when its waters were to be returned to their 
place, that Pharaoh and his host might be overthrown ; 
Moses stretched forth his hand, and the intended results fol- 
lowed. When it was necessary to obtain water for the thirst- 
ing Israelites, Moses smote the rock in Horeb with his rod, 
and " waters gushed out." To demolish the walls of ancient 
Jericho was thought to be almost impossible ; but the work 
was accomplished by the blowing of trumpets and shoutings 
of men. In these examples, and in many others which 



ETERNAL LIFE BY THE CROSS. 221 

might be adduced, the apparent means employed exerted no 
causality, in relation to the results which followed. God 
alone was the efficient cause of the effects produced. 

The same may be said respecting the case of the brazen 
serpent. It is unreasonable to suppose that the bitten Israel- 
ites were restored to health by any curative virtue, either in 
the brazen serpent, or in the simple act of looking upon it. 
Their recovery, therefore, must have been a Divine work. 

But here some one may say, by way of objection, If look- 
ing upon the brazen serpent was not the efficient cause of 
their recovery, the institution itself was of no practical 
utility. To this we reply, first, that the objector's conclusion 
is not legitimate ; and secondly, that, in proof of this, the 
practical utility of the institution can be established, independ- 
ent of its possessing curative power. 

God evidently intended, by the miracles which He wrought 
in Egypt and in the wilderness, to strengthen and confirm 
the faith of His people in His supreme Divinity ; and to 
prove to them that He was worthy of their unlimited confi- 
dence : that He was the Lord their God. Nor is there any 
portion of Jewish history which places the wonder working 
power of God in a clearer light, than that which relates to 
the brazen serpent. Here reason declares, that the wounded 
Israelitee were cured, not by looking upon the serpent of 
brass, but by the power of God, as the efficient cause. 

In addition to the testimony which the institution bore to 
the miraculous power of God, it taught the people important 
moral lessons. Taking the history as a whole, it shows first, 



222 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

that they who sin must repent, in order to realize pardon. 
" The people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for 
we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee." It 
shows secondly, that God alone can save men from the conse- 
quences of transgression. They said, " Pray unto the Lord, 
that He take away the serpents." And it shows thirdly, that 
if men would experience the fulfillment of God's promises, 
they must comply with the conditions on which they are sus- 
pended. So, " if a serpent had bitten any man, when he 
beheld the serpent of brass, he lived." (See Num. 21 : 7-9.) 
While these principles are involved in the institution of 
the brazen serpent, they are perfectly applicable to the Gospel 
plan of human redemption. It will be proper to notice, 
however, before we close our discourse, that, 

II. In these two remedial expedients there aee 
several points of dissimilarity. We remark, 

1. That the benefits of the brazen serpent were restricted to 
a single nation — the house of Israel. But Jesus Christ is the 
healer of all nations. As God " hath made of one blood all 
nations of men to dwell on all the face of the earth," so by 
one offering — the sacrificial death of His only begotten Son, 
He has made it possible for all men to be saved, and 
absolutely certain that all shall be saved, except those who 
knowingly and voluntarily reject this great salvation. 

2. That the brazen serpent only warded off death for a 
time. The men who were healed had to yield at last to 
disease and death. But Christ saves men with an endless life. 



ETERNAL LIFE BY THE CROSS. 223 

He says, " I am the resurrection and the life : he that 
believeth in rue, though he were dead, yet shall he live : and 
whosoever liveth, and believeth in me, shall never die." (John 
11:25, 26.) 

3. That the brazen serpent, as a remedy, was temporary. 
In process of time it was made an object of idolatry ; and in 
the reign of Hezekiah it was destroyed. Christ however, is 
an everlasting remedy. He is the "Lamb slain from the 
foundation of the world," and ever lives to make intercession 
for them whose sins He bore. 

4. That in lifting up the serpent as a means of cure ivas 
responsive to the cry of the suffering for help. But Jesus 
came, unsolicited, to seek and to save the lost. " When we 
were enemies we were reconciled by God by the death of His 
Son." (Eom. 5 : 10.) " He that spared not His own Son, 
but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him 
also freely give us all things ? (Rom. 8 : 32.) 



The Penitent Malefactor. 



"Lord, remember me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom. 
And Jesus said unto him, verily I say unto thee, to-day 
shaft thou be ivith me in Paradise." (Luke 23 : 42, 43.) 

The testimony of Jesus in relation to the object of His 
mission to earth is, that He came " not to destroy men's lives, 
but to save them ; that He came " not to call the righteous, 
but sinners to repentance." This benevolent object He kept 
constantly in view, which is clearly recorded on every page 
of His history. It may be read in every discourse He 
delivered, and seen in every miracle He performed. Benig- 
nity and love marked every step of His earthly journey. 

But notwithstanding all this, the Jews rejected Him, and, 
with fiendish rage, persecuted Him even unto death. We 
therefore see Him nailed to the ignominious cross, and num- 
bered with the transgressors. But even here He shows Him- 
self to be the Saviour of sinners, and the Lord of life and 
glory. The bursting rocks, the quaking earth, the darkened 
sun, and the rending of the temple's vail, all declare the 
sufferer to be Divine ; constraining even His enemies to 
exclaim, " Certainly this was a good man ! " " Truly this 
was the Son of God ! " 

224 



THE PENITENT MALEFACTOR. 225 

In this dreadful hour of excitement and universal commo- 
tion, we hear the trembling voice of a poor penitent sinner, 
addressing the suffering Saviour in the language of the text : 
" Lord remember me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom." 
Jesus heard his petition, and graciously replied, " Verily I 
say unto thee, to-day shalt thou be with me in Paradise." 

In the investigation of the text three things may be 
noticed ; the petitioner, the petition, and our Lord's reply. 

I. The petitionee. In presenting the character of 
this man, so far as history reveals it, we may view him, 

1. As an offender against the law of his country. He is 
called a malefactor — one who so violates law, as to subject 
himself to capital punishment. The crime laid to his charge 
was that of theft, or perhaps robbery. Matthew says, 
" Then ^yere there two thieves crucified with Him." Some 
have supposed that these two men belonged to a company of 
banditti, whose leader was the notable Barrabbas. It is 
highly probable, therefore, that this malefactor had been a 
most daring, debased, and abandoned outlaw ; for only those 
who were so regarded were condemned, by Roman law, to 
the death of the cross. As a criminal we see him arrested, 
condemned, suffering the penalty of the law, and about to 
launch into the eternal world, to prove its realities. 

2. As a reviler of Jesus Christ. St. Matthew, after tell- 
ing us that the scribes, elders, and chief priests treated our 
Lord with mockery and derision, says, " The thieves also, 

15 



226 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

which were crucified with Him, cast the same in His teeth." 
(Matt. 27 : 44.) St. Mark says, " They that were crucified 
with Him reviled Him." (Mark 15 : 32.) Here it is seen 
that both these malefactors were guilty of casting reproach 
upon the suffering Eedeemer. St. Luke testifies that " one 
of the malefactors which were " crucified with Him, " railed 
on Him ; " and hence some conclude, that the other took no 
part in the crime. This view, however, cannot be allowed, 
because it is incompatible with the testimony of the other 
two evangelists The truth seems to be this : both male- 
factors, at the first, reviled our Lord ; but one of them 
becoming penitent ceased to revile, while the other remained 
impenitent, and mocked on. 

3. As a true penitent. The only way in which the gen- 
uineness of his penitence could be manifested was, by the few 
words which fell from h's lips, while he hung upon the cross. 
His hands and feet were nailed to the tree ; but his tongue, 
not yet palsied in death, could express the feelings of his 
immortal nature. He therefore proved the sincerity of his 
repentance, 

1.) By enforcing upon the mind of his fellow sufferer the 
fear of God. He had been brought, by some unexplained 
means, to fear God himself, and to regard sin in a light in 
which he had never seen it before ; as being hateful to God, 
and ruinous to man. Hence he said to his guilty companion, 
" Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same con- 
demnation ? " (Luke 23 : 40.) Truly, " the fear of the 
Lord is the beginning of wisdom." (Psa. Ill : 10.) 



THE PENITENT MALEFACTOK. 227 

2.) By an open and humble confession of sin. " We 
indeed/' said he, " suffer justly ; for we receive the due 
reward of our deeds." (Luke 23 : 41.) Honest confession 
is an essential element in genuine repentance. " He that 
covereth his sins shall not prosper : but whoso confesseth 
and forsaketh them shall find mercy." (Prov. 28 : 13.) 
This man's confession was made publicly, in the presence 
of a crowd of witnesses. It was also made in sincerity; 
for, as he had nothing to hope for, or to fear from man, nothing 
could have extorted from him such a confession but a con- 
sciousness of guilt. 

3.) By vindicating the character of the Redeemer. He 
unhesitatingly asserted, " This man has done nothing amiss." 
No one was found in that critical and trying hour, to plead 
the cause of Him, who come to " give His life a ransom for " 
a world of sinners. His disciples had forsaken Him, and 
lied ; Peter had denied that he knew Him ; the few timid 
friends who ventured near the cross were overwhelmed with 
grief; and no one but the penitent malefactor was heard to 
utter a word in defense of the Divine sufferer. He boldly 
reproved the impenitent criminal, who continued to deride 
Jesus ; he affirmed the spotless purity of our Lord ; and 
thus his last moments were employed in such a manner, as to 
prove beyond a doubt, that he was truly penitent. 

4.) By his earnest and humble prayer. After he had 
made a candid confession of his sin, he directed his attention 
to the bleeding Messiah, whom he regarded as his only hope 



228 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

for the future life ; and in the language of the text he 
prayed, " Lord remember me when thou comest into thy 
kingdom." This leads us to the consideration, 

II. Of the petition itself. It was brief, but com- 
prehensive. In a few well chosen words the penitent 
expressed his request. The prayer, when carefully analyzed, 
evinces, 

1. Spirituality of desire. No prayer was offered for 
any temporal blessing. He did not ask to be taken down 
from the cross ; nor did he even pray that his excruciating 
sufferings might be mitigated, or terminated by death. He 
was so thoroughly awake to the importance of unseen and 
eternal things, that he overlooked all terrestrial objects, and 
was only concerned about his future destiny. " Lord, 
remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom." 

2. Deep humility. The penitent did not specify any par- 
ticular favor which he desired Christ to bestow upon him. 
He did not ask Him for a position either at His right or His 
left, when He should come into His kingdom ; but only to 
remember him. He knew that he would soon be forgotten 
by his fellow citizens ; that his relatives, to whom he had 
been a reproach, would be glad to forget him ; and that, if 
Jesus would not remember him in mercy, he should be of all 
men most miserable. Trusting, however, in the benevolence 
of the suffering Redeemer, he gave utterance to the pathetic 
prayer, " Lord, remember me." 



THE PENITENT MALEFACTOE. 229 

3. Strong faith. The strength and clearness of this 
man's faith may be inferred from the prayer which he 
offered, and from attendant circumstances. How his mind 
became so much enlightened, as it evidently must have been, 
we cannot tell ; but the record shows that he believed, 

1.) In the immortality of the human soul. When he 
offered this prayer to Christ he was at the very point of 
death. He must have known that he had, at the farthest, 
only a few brief hours to live ; and that our Lord, in this 
respect, was in the same condition. To suppose that he 
expected from Christ any benefit in regard to the present life, 
is, therefore, most unreasonable ; and consequently, his peti- 
tion must have had reference to a future state. This is made 
evident by the language employed : " Remember me when 
thou comest into thy kingdom" 

2.) In the doctrine of future retribution. That he 
believed in the doctrine of rewards and punishment in the 
future state, is forcibly implied in the reproof which he 
administered to his impenitent fellow sufferer : " Dost thou 
not fear God ? " Neither of them had anything to fear, 
beyond what they were then suffering, so far as it regarded 
the present life. They were enduring the most awful penalty 
known to Roman law — the death of the cross ; and if death 
were the termination of man's consciousness, they were near- 
ing the end of all fear, and of all hope as well. But the 
penitent malefactor, whatever may have been the views of his 
wicked associate, was awake to the fact, not only of man's con- 



230 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

scions existence beyond the grave, but also, of his accounta- 
bility to God for the deeds done in the body. His prayer 
was therefore the legitimate outgrowth of his faith. 

3.) In the Divinity of Jesus Christ. He must have 
known that Jesus had been condemned by Pilate as a male- 
factor, and that, as such, He was suffering the penalty of the 
law. He saw Him only in that state of humility which is 
thus expressed by St. Paul : He " made Himself of no 
reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and 
was made in the likeness of men : and being found in fashion 
as a man, He humbled Himself and become obedient unto 
death, even the death of the cross." (Phil. 2 : 7, 8.) But 
though the glory of His character was veiled in clouds and 
darkness, the penitent sufferer regarded Him as a proper 
object of religious worship, and as the dispenser of future 
good. Hence his prayer ; " Lord, remember me when thou 
comest into thy kingdom." That this was a prayer of faith 
is evident from our Lord's reply. 

4.) In the spirituality of Christ's kingdom. The Jewish 
prophets made known to the world many beautiful and 
impressive predictions respecting the promised Messiah ; and 
especially in regard to that kingdom which He was to estab- 
lish among men. At the time of our Lord's advent it was 
extensively believed among the Jews, that the kingdom of 
Christ was to be a temporal monarchy ; and that he would 
deliver them from the Roman yoke, and restore them to their 
former liberty and glory. 



THE PENITENT MALEFACTOE. 231 

So thoroughly was the Jewish mind imbued with this 
theory, that even the disciples of our Lord were considerably 
affected by its controlling influence. Jesus declared most 
emphatically, " My kingdom is not of this world " — " is not 
from hence ; " but the wife of Zebedee and her sons, James 
and John, must have thought differently, when they came to 
the Master desiring Him to grant, that they, the two sons, 
might sit, one on His right hand, and the other on his left, 
in His kingdom. They believed that He was about to estab- 
lish a glorious monarchy on earth, which should break in 
pieces and subdue every other kingdom, and should stand 
for ever ; and they desired that in the triumphs and honors 
of this kingdom they might have the largest possible share. 

When, however, the disciples saw that their Master was 
actually put to death, they regarded the event as a refutation 
of their cherished belief. Hence one of their number was 
heard to say, in melancholy accents, " We trusted that it had 
been He which should have redeemed Israel ; " thus clearly 
implying that the ground of this trust had been removed. 
But when He had given them evidence of His resurrection 
from the dead, " by many infallible proofs/' they became 
confirmed in their former faith respecting the nature of His 
kingdom. Nor did they abandon their notion of a temporal 
monarchy, till after His ascension to heaven ; for in their last 
interview they proposed to Him this question : " Lord, wilt 
thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel ? " 



232 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

That the malefactor believed in the spirituality of Christ's 
kingdom is evident from the facts in the case. He knew 
that He whom he addressed as his Lord was doomed to die 
upon the cross; and that after His death He could not 
become a temporal monarch. Therefore, when he prayed, 
"Lord, remember me, when thou comest into thy kingdom," 
he must have had reference to that spiritual kingdom which, 
in our Lord's own language, " is not of this world." 

But to perceive the extraordinary character of this man's 
faith, we must consider the circumstances by which he was 
surrounded, and compare his condition with that of others 
whose faith has distinguished them. " Abraham believed 
God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness ; " but he 
had the direct and special promise of God on which to rely. 
Moses believed God; but God both spoke to him face to face, 
and appeared to him in the burning bush. John the Baptist 
believed in Jesus Christ; but he saw the opening heavens, 
and the descending Spirit, and heard the voice of the Father, 
saying, " This is my beloved Sun.'' The disciples believed 
that Jesus of Nazareth was " the Christ, the Son of the 
living God ; " but they heard His words of superhuman 
wisdom, and saw His works of benevolence and almighty 
power. Saul of Tarsus believed in the crucified Redeemer ; 
but not until he met Him on the way to Damascus, and 
revealed Himself to the persecutor in a miraculous manner. 

But how are we to account for the faith of the penitent 
malefactor ? He saw our Lord in the lowest degree of His 



THE PENITENT MALEFACTOR. 233 

humiliation ; persecuted, reviled, and crucified as an enemy 
both to God and man. He saw no scepter in His hand ; no 
crown upon His head ; and no signs of royalty to indicate 
His approaching reign. He saw Him "forsaken by His 
friends, and insulted by His enemies. He heard not a word 
respecting His character, but what he heard from the mouth 
of His accusers. And yet, strange to tell, his faith saw 
through the surrounding darkness, surmounted every obstacle, 
and recognized, in the sufferer by his side, the promised and 
long expected Messiah and Saviour of the world. 

III. Our Lord's reply. "Verily I say unto thee, 
To-day shalt thou be with me in Paradise." In regard to 
this reply we remark. 

1. That it ivas promjit and unequivocal. We see, in our 
Lord's unhesitating response, infinite love and condescension. 
He heard the prayer of this poor, degraded, and guilty out- 
oast from civil society ; and, without a moment's delay, He 
poured into his wounded spirit the balm of gracious consola- 
tion. When the Syrophenician woman besought Him to 
heal her daughter, He seemed for a while to disregard her 
petition, though at last He granted her request ; but in this 
case there was no time for delay. The penitent malefactor 
was trembling on the verge of time. The flickering lamp of 
life was at the very point of extinction ; and the dread reali- 
ties of the eternal world were in view. If the penitent was 
to be fitted for heaven, the work had to be done in a very 
brief period of time. But the benevolent Redeemer, who 



234 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

'• would not have one wretched sinner die/ 7 addressed him in 
the language of an Almighty Friend in the time of need, and 
with as much readiness as the affectionate father hasted to meet 
his returning prodigal son : " Verily, I say unto thee, 
to-day shalt thou be with me in Paradise." 

2. Thai it was gracious and consoling. This conclusion 
follows both from what is implied in our Lord's response, and 
from what is expressed. The response necessarily implies, 
that the penitent petitioner was made a subject of pardon and 
regenerating grace. It is emphatically taught in the Bible, 
that no unregenerate man can be admitted into the heavenly 
Paradise. " Except a man be born again, he cannot see the 
kingdom of God." (John 3 : 3.) Heaven is a holyplaie; 
the society of heaven are all holy ; and so are their employ- 
ments. Without holiness, therefore, " no man shall see the 
Lord." (Heb. 12 : 14.) But as Jesus said to the malefactor, 
" To-day shalt thou be with me in Paradise," His declaration 
proves that he was fitted by grace for his heavenly home. 
How wonderful are the displays of Divine grace ! It was 
while this man was hanging upon the cross, that he became 
savingly acquainted with the world's Redeemer. It was 
while he was suffering, in disgrace and agony, the penalty of 
violated law, that he gained access to that " fountain filled 
with blood drawn from IrnmanuePs veins," in which all his 
sins were washed away. 

But the reply of our Lord is expressed in language most 
consoling : " Verily I say unto thee, to-day shalt thou be 



THE PENITENT MALEFACTOR. 235 

with me in Paradise.' 7 Here every feature of the promise 
teems with encouragement and consolation, and must have 
been so regarded by the weeping penitent. 

1.) It gave him the assurance of a glorious and happy 
home after death, under the name of Paradise — a term 
which literally means a garden of pleasure. It is therefore 
used to designate the Garden of Eden — the abode of our first 
parents in their state of innocence ; but when applied to the 
future state, it means a place of rest and endless enjoyment : 
the home of the blessed in the world to come. " Thou shalt 
be with me in Paradise" 

2.) It assured him, moreover, that this state of blessed- 
ness should immediately follow his exit from time. " To-day 
shalt thou be with me in Paradise/' This language gives no 
countenance to the sleep of the soul, or its unconsciousness 
after death. When probation ends, retribution begins. 

" Soon as from earth I go, 

What will become of me ? 
Eternal happiness or woe 

Must then my portion be." 

3.) It informed him also, that in the heavenly Paradise 
he should realize the personal presence of the Redeemer. 
" Thou shallt be with me in Paradise." To see Jesus is the 
desire of all who are born of God ; and it is His purpose that 
all His people shall enjoy His presence in the future state. 
Hence He prayed, " Father, I will that they also, whom 
Thou hast given me, be with me where I am ; that they may 



236 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

behold my glory." (John 17 : 24.) It is doubtful whether 
the redeemed from earth can ever attain to a higher degree of 
blessedness, than that which will result from the approval 
and personal presence of Him who " loved them, and washed 
them from their sins in His own blood ; " and if the dying- 
thief believed the emphatic declaration of Jesus, as most 
assuredly he did, he must have closed his life, though on the 
cross, " rejoicing in hope of the glory of God." 

CLOSING REMARKS. 

1. The subject to which our attention has been directed 
is an impressive representation of the infinite compassion and 
benevolence of the world's Redeemer, in regard to perishing 
sinners. As all power is His " in heaven and in earth," so, 

" His love is as great as His power, 
And knows neither measure nor end." 

Wherever the voice of penitential prayer is heard, there Jesus 
is, to pardon and to save. 

2. Let no one presume that, because the penitent thief 
found mercy in his last moments, there is therefore no danger 
in putting off repentance until the dying hour. This example 
was recorded to show, perhaps, that while probation lasts 
there is hope ; but it is both wicked and dangerous for 
sinners to delay their return to God. " Behold, now is the 
accepted time ; behold, now is the day of salvation." (II. 
Cor. 6 : 2.) " He that being often reproved hardeneth his 
neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy." 
(Prov. 29 :1.) 



The Christian's Doxology. 



" Unto Him that loved us, and washed, us from our sins in 
His own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto 
God and His Father ; to Him be glory and dominion for 
ever and ever. Amen.^ {Rev. 1 : 5, 6.) 

Every attentive reader of the Bible knows that it declares 
man to be in a fallen, sinful, and helpless condition ; and 
every thoughtful person must perceive that human experience 
and observation teach the same lesson. If we study the vol- 
ume of our own consciousness we can hardly fail to discover 
the humilating fact, that we are " carnal, sold under sin ;" 
and that our most vigorous efforts to free ourselves from 
spiritual bondage are unavailing. 

It follows, therefore, that if men are saved at all, their sal- 
vation must be effected by superhuman agency — by some 
Divine interposition. Hence it is a maxim in the economy 
of human recovery, that " salvation is of the Lord f or, as 
St. Paul expresses it, " Not by works of righteousness which 
we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by 
the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy 
Ghost." 

237 



238 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

Man's salvation is sometimes ascribed to God the Father, 
and sometimes to the Holy Spirit ; but in the New Testament 
Scriptures it is most frequently spoken of as resulting from 
the redeeming work of Jesus Christ. In these representa- 
tions, however, there is no contradiction ; for " these Three 
are One." But as " the Word was made flesh, and dwelt 
among us ;" and as, in the person of the incarnate Son of 
God He accomplished the redeeming work which the Father 
had given Him to do, He is therefore represented as being 
emphatically man's Eedeemer. The angel who predicted 
His advent said, " His name shall be called Jesus, for He 
shall save His people from their sins." 

It is eminently proper that those who are saved from sin 
should ascribe the glory of their salvation to their great De- 
liverer ; and that they should promote, as far as they can, 
His cause and kingdom in the world. Believing these 
lessons to be taught in the text, we will proceed to consider 
both the work of human salvation, and the obligations which 
it imposes upon its subjects. 

I. The work of human salvation. " To Him that 
loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and 
hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father." 
There are two aspects in which the work of man's salvation 
may be contemplated ; First, In its preparatory arrange- 
ments ; and Secondly, In its personal application. 

1. In its preparatory arrangements. These comprehend 
what God graciously and absolutely accomplished for fallen 



239 

man, in order that he might be saved. When God created 
man He gave him a law which required perfect obedience, 
and placed him in a state of trial for a higher life ; but when 
he transgressed that law his probationary state ended, and he 
became liable to its penalty, which was death. Had this 
penalty meant nothing more than temporal death, and had it 
been put in execution, the offending pair would only have 
been removed from earth without posterity ; but it indicated 
the death of the whole man — of the soul, as well as of the 
body ; though not of both in the same sense. The death of 
the body is merely the extinction of animal life, while the 
death of the soul consists in the loss of the favor and image 
of God, moral depravity, and a liability to future punishment. 
Thus, " by one man sin entered into the world, and death by 
sin ; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have 
sinned." (Rom. 5:12.) But God, in His infinite wisdom 
and goodness, devised a plan of redemption, perfectly respon- 
sive to the claims of His moral government, which rescued 
our fallen parents from the penalty of the law ; placing them, 
with all their posterity, in a salvable condition. 

According to the provisions of this redemptive plan, all 
human beings are born in a state of justification ; and if they 
die before they become moral agents, they are unconditionally 
saved through the atonement of Christ. For, " as by the 
offense of one, judgment came upon all men to condemna- 
tion ; even so, by the righteousness of One, the free gift came 
upon all men unto justification of life. (Rom. 5 : 18.) 



240 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

Moreover, the covenant of redemption secures to all who 
come to the years of moral accountability a day of probation, 
with various degrees of Divine light and gracious help ; 
during which they may be reconciled to God, and qualified 
for heaven. Christ is declared to be " the true light, which 
lighteth every man that cometh into the world ;" and with 
equal clearness it is taught, that the Holy Spirit " will reprove 
the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment." 
Those, therefore, who improve their day of grace, according 
to the light which they have, shall obtain eternal life ; for 
" God is no respecter of persons ; but in every nation he that 
feareth Him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with 
Him. 77 (Acts 10 : 35.) 

In the unfolding of the redeeming plan the Mosaic economy 
was an important factor. By it God gave to men a written 
revelation of His moral law ; and, by typical representations 
and prophetic descriptions, He discovered to them, as far as 
circumstances would allow, the nature, the saving power, and 
the glory of the Gospel dispensation. This last and grandest 
dispensation of grace was fully inaugurated on the day of 
Pentecost, and may be regarded as the culmination of God's 
preparatory arrangements for the recovery of a fallen world. 
Hence the ambassadors of Christ, in preaching the Gospel to 
their fellow men, may say to them, in the language employed 
in the parable of the great supper ; " Come, for all things are 
now ready." (Luke 14 : 17.) 



241 

Having considered to some extent, the preparatory and 
unconditional arrangements which God had so graciously 
made for man's salvation, we will proceed to call attention, 

2, To its personal application. It is not difficult to per- 
ceive the difference between a plan by which men may be 
saved, and their actual salvation. For instance ; we as a 
nation, have a system of naturalization laws, according to 
which men of foreign birth may become as really citizens of 
the United States, as if they had been born in our own land ; 
but they cannot realize citizenship, until they comply with 
the legal terms on which it is granted. In like manner, 
though the economy of redemption has made it possible for 
all men to be saved, yet no actual transgressor of the divine 
law can experience personal salvation, without yielding to the 
conditions on which it is proposed in the Gospel. 

We believe it to be taught in the Bible, that God has sus- 
pended the salvation of all who are in a state of probation, 
upon a proper exercise of their divinely assisted moral agency. 
What other conclusion can be drawn from such passages of 
Scripture as the following ? " If thou seek Him, He will be 
found of thee ; but if thou forsake Him, He will cast thee off 
forever." (I. Chron. 28 : 9.) " He that believeth and is 
baptized shall be saved ; but he that believeth not shall be 
damned." (Mark 16 : 16.) " If ye live after the flesh, ye 
shall die ; but if ye, through the Spirit, do mortify the deeds 
of the body, ye shall live." (Rom. 8:13.) 



242 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

It is evident, that though the redeeming work of Christ 
has placed all men in a salvable state, they are not thereby 
personally and actually saved from sin ; ior " that which is 
born of the flesh is flesh ; " and " they that are in the flesh 
cannot please God." (Rom. 8 : 8.) Moreover, " he that 
believeth not the Son shall not see life ; but the wrath of God 
abideth on him." (John 3:36.) Hence it is the imperative 
duty of all unregenerated sinners, to yield obedience to the 
apostolic exhortation ; — " Be ye reconciled to God." 

This reconciliation to God is what we mean, when we speak 
of salvation in its personal application ; and which is so 
forcible expressed in the text : — " To Him that loved us, and 
washed us from our sins in His own blood ; and hath made 
us kings and priests unto God and His Father." In the 
further consideration of this great salvation we will notice, 

1.) Its moving cause. This is ascribed to the infinite 
benevolence of God. " To Him that loved us." The love 
here spoken of is predicated of Jesus Christ ; but as He and 
the Father are one, it simply means the love of God for fallen 
man. It is not wonderful that God, whose nature is love, 
should take pleasure in the creatures whom He had made 
in His own image and likene?s, while they continued to obey 
Him • but that He should so love them, aiter they had fallen 
by actual transgression, as to give His only begotten Son to 
suffer and die for their redemption, is far beyond our compre- 
hension. Such love has no parallel in the history of the 
world. " Scarcely for a righteous man will one die ; yet, 



243 

peradventure, for a good man some would even dare to die : 
but God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we 
were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Eom. 5 : 7, 8.) 

But if the love of God was the moving cause of the world's 
redemption, as the Scriptures evidently teach, that same love 
will surely incline Him to save all who call irpon Him in 
sincerity. " For if when we were enemies, we were recon- 
ciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being 
reconciled, we shall be saved by His life." (Rom. 5 : 10.) 

2.) Its meritorious cause. " Washed us from our sins in 
His own blood. This language is highly figurative ; but its 
meaning is obvious. For, as the filthiness of a garment is 
removed by the common process of Avashing, so men are 
delivered from the guilt and pollution of sin, by the sacrifi- 
cial death of Jesus Christ ; which death is implied in the 
phrase, " His own blood." 

Had Jesus died merely as a martyr to the cause which He 
advocated, as some assert, His blood could exert no more 
saving virtue than that of St. Paul or John the Baptist. 
But it was more than the blood of martyrdom — it was the 
blood of atonement, by which man was reconciled to God, 
and without the shedding of which there could have been no 
remission of sins. We may never be able fully to comprehend 
the connection between the death of Christ and the salvation 
of fallen man ; but that the Bible represents the latter as 
being the effect of the former, cannot be denied. Isaiah, in 
his predictions respecting the promised Redeemer, said, " He 



244 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our 
iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon Him ; 
and with His stripes we are healed/' (Isaiah 53 : 5.) St. 
Paul says, " Christ hatn redeemed us from the curse of the 
law, being made a curse for us ; that the blessing of Abraham 
might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ." (Gal. 
3 : 13, 14.) 

3.) Its intrinsic nature. The question which meets us 
at this point is this : in what does our salvation consist ? to 
which we reply, it includes, as the text shows, two facts ; 
deliverance from sin, and elevation of moral character ; or 
moral purity, and moral elevation. 

(1.) Deliverance from Sin. If we are saved, we are 
" washed from our sins." The angel who predicted the 
advent of the Eedeemer said to Joseph, " Thou shalt call His 
name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins." 
(Matt. 1 : 21.) 

This salvation includes, 

(a) Deliverance from the love of sin. The unregenerate 
are not only destitute of spiritual life, but are naturally in- 
clined to evil, and to seek pleasure in forbidden objects. 
" They that are after the flesh do mind the things of the 
flesh." (Rom, 8 : 5.) They are controlled by the lust of the 
flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life." Men 
live in sin because they love it — because it is gratifying to 
their fallen and depraved nature ; nor can anything short of 
Divine truth, enforced by the agency of the Holy Spirit, 



the christian's doxology. 245 

open their eyes to its deformity and exceeding sinfulness. 
St. Paul says, " I was alive without the law once ; but when 
the law came, sin revived, and I died." (Rom. 7 : 9.) But 
he who is led to perceive how hateful sin is to Gocl, how 
destructive it is to all that is pure and lovely in human life, 
and how unspeakably awful will be its consequences in the 
world to come, can love it no longer. He must regard it as 
his most deadly enemy ; and, in the language of true peni- 
tence will exclaim, " O wretched man that I am, who shall 
deliver me from this body of death ? " 

(b) Deliverance from the guilt of sin. That sin has denied 
our entire race, and that those who refuse the remedy which 
God has provided for our recovery become personally guilty, 
and exposed to eternal death, are doctrines clearly taught in 
the Bible ; but it is taught, with equal clearness, that those 
who accept the Gospel remedy are delivered from all con- 
demnation before God ; "being justified freely by His grace, 
through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." (Kom. 
3 : 24.) 

Justification and pardon, when applied to the work of our 
personal salvation, are terms of the same import. They are 
both expressive of that gracious act of God, by which a 
believing penitent is absolved from the penalty and guilt of 
sin, and accepted as righteous, through the atonement of 
Christ. But justification, in this sense, must not be con- 
founded with that constitutional arrangement, by which 
atonement was made for Adam's transgression, and all men 



246 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

were placed in a salvable condition. That provision was 
general and unconditionally applied ; but justification in the 
sense of pardon has respect to those only who receive the 
atonement by faith, and is therefore realized conditionally. 
Hence it is a matter of personal concern, of personal pursuit, 
and of personal experience. 

The consciousness of those who become the subjects of 
justifying grace is not the same in all cases. With some it 
is no more, at first, than freedom from condemnation, and a 
peaceful trust in God. " Being justified by faith, we have 
peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ." (Rom. 
5:1.) But in other cases it is a feeling of ecstatic or raptur- 
ous joy. This was truthfully and beautifully stated by 
Charles Wesley when he wrote, 

' ' Tongue can never express 
The sweet comfort and peace 
Of a soul in its earliest love." 

It is not uncommon, for a sinner saved by grace, to express 
himself in language similar to that of the Psalmist, when he 
said, " Bless the Lord, O my soul ; and all that is within 
me, bless His holy name." (Psa. 103 : 1.) 

(c) Deliverance from the domination of sin. This is 
effected by regenerating grace. Regeneration is that work of 
the Holy Spirit, by which a believing penitent is put in pos- 
session of spiritual life, delivered from the ruling power of 
sin, and inclined to love God and to keep His commandments. 



247 

The Greek word, irdPuyyeveoia, which is rendered regeneration, 
literally signifies reproduction, or the act of forming a thing 
into a new and improved state. 

To understand more fully the nature of this moral change, 
we should consider the figures by which it is represented in 
the Scriptures. It is the bestowment of a new heart, and a 
new spirit. "A new heart also will I give you, and a new 
spirit will I put within you ; and I will take away the stony 
heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh." 
(Ezek. 36 : 26.) 

It is a new and spiritual birth. " Except a man be born 
again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." " That which is 
born of the Spirit is spirit." " Ye must be born again." 
(John 3 : 3, 6, 7.) 

It is a new creation. " If any man be in Christ, he is a new 
creature : old things are passed away ; behold all things are 
become new." (II. Cor. 5 : 17.) "We are His workman- 
ship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works." (Eph. 
2 : 10.) 

It is rational to conclude, from the very nature of regener- 
ation, that it would deliver its subjects from the dominant 
power of sin ; but this fact is placed beyond controversy by 
positive Scripture testimony. St, Paul says, in addressing 
his Christian brethren, " Sin shall not have dominion over 
you ; for ye are not under the law, but under grace." (Rom. 
6 : 14.) " Being made free from sin, and become servants to 
God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end ever- 



248 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

lasting life." (Rom. 6 : 22.) St. John asserts, " Whoso- 
ever is born of God doth not commit sin." (I. John 3 : 9.) 
Again, "We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth 
not ; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and 
that wicked one toucheth him not." (I. John 5 :18.) 

We do not claim that the subjects of this great salvation 
are made capable of perfect obedience to the Divine law ; for 
this implies a degree of moral perfection, which we do not 
believe to be attainable in the present life. Nevertheless, 
there must be a sense in which, as St. John asserts, " Who- 
soever is born of God doth not commit sin." This brings 
us face to face with the question, what is sin ? A very com- 
mon definition of it is this : " Sin is any want of conform- 
ity unto, or transgression of the law of God."* This 
definition is exceedingly comprehensive. It includes not 
only all practical violations of the Divine law, but also 
everything in the moral character of man, which falls below 
the standard of perfect obedience ; and though there is a 
sense in which it may be justified by the teachings of the 
Bible, it cannot be the sense in which the term is employed 
by St. John. He says, " He that committeth sin is of the 
Devil." But to be "of the Devil" is to be an enemy to 
Christ, and a servant of sin ; as our Lord said to the un- 
believing Jews ; " Ye are of your father, the Devil, and the 
lusts of your father ye will do." (John 8 : 44.) Now, it is 
not to be supposed that the apostle included, in his use of the 



* Shorter Catechism, Question 14. 



the christian's doxology. 249 

term sin, the unavoidable imperfections of the truly regener- 
ate ; for surely he did not intend to teach the doctrine, that 
"any want of conformity/' in them, "to the law of God/' 
proved them to be " of the Devil." It follows, therefore, 
that when St. John defined sin to be " the transgression of 
the law," he restricted its meaning to volitive wrong doing ; 
for, as Mr. Wesley asserts, " Nothing is sin, strictly speak- 
ing, but a voluntary transgression of a known law of God." 

Believing this to be the true interpretation of the apostle's 
language, we can easily perceive what he meant by the asser- 
tion, " Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin." 
It simply was, that lie who is born of the Spirit is so far 
saved from the love and domination of sin, that he will not 
knowingly transgress the Divine law. That it is the duty of 
all who are born of God to avoid the voluntary transgression 
of His law, no one will deny ; and that it is their privilege, 
by assisting grace, to do so, is what we unhesitatingly believe. 

We come now to show T , that our personal salvation 
includes, 

(2.) Elevation of moral character. "And hath made 
us kings and priests unto God and His Father." It is not 
to be expected that the magistrate who pardons a condemned 
malefactor should regard him as being entitled to social 
•equality with upright and law-abiding citizens ; much less, 
that he should be willing to make him a member of his own 
family. Pardon, it is true, releases him from the penalty of 



250 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

the law ; but it cannot restore to him his forfeited character. 
The disgrace of his criminality is as ineffaceable, as are the 
spots of the leopard. 

But with those who are washed from their sins " in the 
blood of the Lamb," the case is wonderfully different ; for 
they are not only released from the penalty of the law by the 
pardon of their transgressions, but are also placed in certain 
relations to God, which, in point of real dignity and honor, 
rise far above all earthly distinctions among men. They are 
made " kings and priests unto God, the Father." Nearly the 
same thought was expressed by St. Peter, when he called his 
Christian brethren, to whom he wrote, " a royal priesthood." 

The regal office of the State, and the sacerdotal in the 
Church, are the most dignified and honorable stations occupied 
by men. It follows, therefore, that to make men " kings and 
priests unto God," is to place them in the most dignified 
positions, to which they can be exalted in the present life. 
But Jesus says, " If any man serve me, him will my Father 
honor." (John 12 : 26.) 

This elevation of moral character, in those who are per- 
sonally saved, is seen, moreover, in their filial relation to 
God. They are all his children, " by faith in Christ Jesus," 
and heirs of eternal life ; and if it is an honor to be the 
child of an earthly monarch, which no one will deny, it is 
an infinitely greater honor to be a child of the almighty 
Ruler of earth and heaven. In strict accordance with 



251 

Gospel truth, aud with a heaven inspired consciousness of 
peace with God such a one can sing the sweet chorus, 

" I'm the child of a King, the child of a King ; 
With Jesus my Saviour, I'm the child of a King." 

Why, then, should men, who would be accounted wise, 
desire and seek the fleeting honors of this world, in prefer- 
ence to those which come from God '? It does not require a 
long or extensive acquaintance Avith men and things to ascer- 
tain the fact that popular applause is as fickle as the wind, 
and as evanescent as a bubble on the wave. The plaudits 
of to-day are often exchanged for the condemnatory verdict 
of to-morrow. But they who " by patient continuance in 
well doing, seek for glory and honor and immortality/' 
secure to themselves a reputation more to be desired than any 
thing earth can give, and, in the world to come, " eternal 
life." 

It may be proper to remark, however, before we leave this 
feature of the subject, that there seems to be more implied in 
being made " kings and priests unto God/' than mere eleva- 
tion to a position of honor. Christians may be called Icings 
unto God, because their duty and life work is, to contend 
against moral evil. Their enemies are Satan, the world, and 
their own fallen nature ; but by Divine assistance they gain 
a glorious victory, and enter into rest. They are priests unto 
God, because, under the Gospel dispensation every one must 
bring his own sacrifice to God, without the intervention of 



252 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

an Aaronic priest ; offering to Him his prayers and praises 
through the mediation of Jesus Christ. 'We will consider, 

II. The obligations which this salvation imposes 
upox its subjects. " To Him be glory and dominion for 
ever and ever. Amen." Here we are taught, that it is the 
duty of the redeemed to ascribe the glory of their salvation 
:to Jesus Christ, and to promote the extension of His kingdom 
.among men. 

1 . They should ascribe the glory of their salvation to Jesus 
Christ : " to Him be glory." The word 66ga, here rendered 
glory, means, in this place, honor, praise, adoration. The 
meaning of the passage evidently is, that men should acknowl- 
edge Jesus Christ as their Saviour, and honor, praise, and 
adore Him for His redeeming work ; or, in other words, that 
they should ascribe the glory of their salvation to God, who 
saved them through the incarnation and redeeming work of 
His only begotten Son ; " the true God and eternal life." 

There are two ways in which men may glorify God ; by 
laudatory language, and by practical obedience. To glorify 
Him by laudatory language is to utter His praise in sacred 
song, or to extol Him in the relation of religious experience. 
That it is the duty of all men to " give unto the Lord the 
glory due unto His name " will not be denied ; nor is there 
.any way of performing this duty more appropriate, more de- 
lightful, or more impressive, than by congregational singing. 
Hence the invocation of the Psalmist ; " Let the people praise 
Thee, O God ; let all the people praise Thee." (Psa. 67 : 3.) 



253 

This mode of Divine worship has been patronized by the 
Church of God in all generations. The inspired songs which 
were heard on Mount Zion more than two thousand years 
ago, were largely expressive of the faith and religious feelings 
of pious Jews, respecting the glorious character and doings 
of the God whom they worshiped ; and the same spirit of 
adoration by sacred song marks the Gospel dispensation. 
The angelic anthem in celebration of the nativity of Zion's 
King was prophetic of this fact : " Glory to God in the 
highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." 

The new dispensation was not fully inaugurated until the 
day of Pentecost ; and it is said of those who were converted 
on that memorable occasion, that they " did eat their meat 
with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God, and 
having favor with all the people." So happy were the early 
Christians in the enjoyment of " peace with God through our 
Lord Jesus Christ," that even the bloody hand of persecution 
could not prevent them from honoring their ascended Master 
in songs of adoration, as being " the true God," and the only 
Redeemer of men. 

It is, moreover, the duty of sinners saved by grace, to 
glorify God in relating their religious experience. Peter said 
to his Christian brethren, " Be ready always to give an answer 
to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in 
you, with meekness and fear." (I. Peter 3 : 15.) "Come 
and hear, all ye that fear God," said the Psalmist, " and I 
will declare what He hath done for my soul." (Psa. 6Q : 16.) 



254 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

St. Paul asserted, " I am crucified with Christ ; nevertheless 
I live ; yet not I, but Christ liveth iu me ; and the life which 
I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, 
who loved me, and gave Himself for me." (Gal. 2 : 20.) 

The telling of religious experience should always be undei 
the control of prudence, in regard to time, place, and attend- 
ing circumstances ; but when properly conducted, it seldom 
fails to produce good results. While it ascribes to Christ 
the glory of our salvation, it also increases the joy of the 
faithful, quickens the lukewarm, strengthens the weak, and 
sheds light upon the pathway of the recently converted. In 
olden times, those who feared God spoke " often one to 
another : and the Lord hearkened, and heard it ; and a book 
of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared 
the Lord, and that thought upon His name. And they shall 
be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make 
up my jewels ; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his 
own son that serveth him." (Mai. 3 : 16, 17.) 

But men may glorify God by practical obedience to the 
moral law. Hence Jesus said to His disciples, " Herein is 
my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit." (John 15 : 8.) 
This is in perfect agreement with the exhortation in His 
sermon on the Mount ; " Let your light so shine before men, 
that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father 
which is in heaven." (Matt. 5 : 16.) It is a maxim in the 
Christian religion, that love to God and obedience to His 
law are inseparable. " He that hath my commandments," 



255 

said our Lord, " and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me ;" 
but " he that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings." (John 
14 : 21, 24.) It follows, therefore, that men cannot honor 
God as He requires them to do, unless they keep His com- 
mandments ; that, if they do not practically obey Him, 

" Their loudest words, their loftiest songs, 
Would be but sounding brass." 

2. It is the duty of the redeemed to promote the extension of 
Christ's kingdom among men. " To Him be dominion for 
ever and ever." This is in harmony with the prayer which 
our Lord requires all His disciples to repeat : " Thy kingdom 
come. Thy will be clone in earth, as it is in heaven." True 
conversion inclines its subjects to desire the conversion of 
others, and to use appropriate means for its accomplishment^ 
This desire is both a fruit of the Spirit, and an impulsive 
principle in missionary work. He who is made a partaker 
of saving grace, and of the spirit of adoption, will instinc- 
tively look round for some one or more, to whom he can " tell 
the old old story, of Jesus and His love." Thus it is both 
the duty and the pleasure of Christ's living members to be- 
come " workers together with Him " in evangelizing the 
world, and in extending His dominion. 

To unassisted reason the subjection of earth's millions to 
the dominion of Christ would be a doubtful problem ; but to 
the eye of faith the expectation of this glorious event rests 
upon a solid foundation — the infallible word of God. The 
decree has gone forth from the eternal throne, that our Re- 



256 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

deemer shall have " the heathen for His inheritance, and the 
uttermost parts of the earth for His possession ;" and that 
there shall come a day, when " the people shall all know the 
Lord, from the least of them unto the greatest of them." 
Most gladly, therefore, should the friends of Jesus unite in 
this Christian doxology : " To Him that loved us, and washed 
us from our sins in His own blood, and hath made us kings 
and priests unto God and His Father; to Him be glory and 
dominion for ever and ever. Amen." 



The Great Teacher. 



When Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished 
at His doctrine, for He taught them as one having 
authority, and not as the Scribes." (Matt. 7 : 28, 29.) 

The Old Testament Scriptures show clearly, that the 
promised Redeemer of mankind would sustain to us a three- 
fold official relation ; that He would be our Prophet, our 
Priest, and our King. 

His regal office is referred to by the Psalmist, when he 
speaks of Him as being seated upon the " Holy hill of Zion," 
and as ruling in the midst of His enemies. It was of Him 
the prophet Jeremiah spoke, when he said, " Behold the days 
come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a right- 
eous Branch ; and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall 
execute judgment and justice in the earth." 

That He should exercise the priestly office is equally evident. 
David declared, " The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent ; 
Thou art a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedeck." 
And as it belongs to priests both to offer sacrifice for sin, and 
to make intercession for transgressors, so Christ both redeemed 
us from the curse of the law by the sacrifice of Himself, and 
now lives in heaven to make intercession for us. 



257 



258 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

But it is to the prophetic office of our Lord that our atten- 
tion is particularly invited, on the present occasion. Moses 
said, " A prophet will the Lord thy God raise up unto thee, 
of thy brethren, like unto me ; unto Him shall ye 
hearken." That this prediction had its fulfillment in the 
advent and public ministry of Jesus Christ, is beyond dispute ; 
for it is so applied by an inspired apostle. 

Our Lord's sermon on the Mount was at once a proof and 
an exhibition of His prophetic character. It was so unusual 
so unique in every particular, that the people were perfectly 
astonished, both at the doctrines which He taught, and at 
the manner in which He proclaimed them. Having made 
these exordial remarks, we will notice, 

I. The doctrines which He taught. " The people 
were astonished at His doctrine." This term has a very ex- 
tensive application. It is employed to denote any settled 
opinion, tenet or dogma, whether true or false, repecting any 
branch of human knowledge. But as the term may be used in 
either a good or a bad sense, it is often qualified by some word, 
phrase, or sentence, definitive of its meaning. Thus we read 
of " good doctrine ; " of sound doctrine ; " of " doctrine of 
the Lord" and of " doctrine which is according to godliness" 
On the other hand, we read of " the doctrine of Balaam" of 
" the doctrine of the Pharisees" aud of " the doctrine of 
devils. 

Jesus Christ, the " faithful and true witness," came into 
the world to reveal to mankind the will of the Father. 



THE GREAT TEACHER. 259 

Hence He asserted, " My doctrine is not mine, but His that 
sent me." He Avas emphatically a doctrinal preacher ; for 
though He did not deliver His discourses in the modern form 
of systematic theology, every sentence which He uttered was 
inspired truth, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for 
correction, and for instruction in righteousness." 

It is proper to remark, at this point, that in reviewing the 
teachings of our Lord, we must be confined to the doctrines 
which He inculcated in His sermon on the Mount ; for to 
them alone the text alludes : but even of these we can notice 
only a few. He being in the presence of a vast multitude, 
and having taken His seat, as was the usual attitude of Jewish 
teachers, called the attention of His auditory, 

1. To that personal experience which is involved in the 
conversion of a sinner. This gracious change, which is spoken 
of in Scripture, as a transition " from death unto life," has 
its inception in an impressive discovery of one's fallen and 
sinful condition. To this experience our Lord had reference 
when He said, " Blessed (or happy) are the poor in spirit ; 
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Perhaps no other 
form of words could more accurately express the condition of 
a convicted sinner, than the one which is here employed — 
" poor in spirit." 

The unrenewed man, in pursuit of temporal objects as his 
chief good, may be inclined to say, in the pride of his heart, 
"I am rich and increased; with goods, and have need of noth- 
ing." But when his eyes'are opened by the reproving Spirit, 



260 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

to see himself in his true character, he discovers that he is 
" in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity " — 
that he is " poor, and blind, and naked." St. Paul says, 
" I was alive without the law once ; but when the command- 
ment came, sin revived, and I died." (Rom. 7 : 9.) Whether 
men are rich or poor in regard to this world s goods, they 
must all be made to see their spiritual destitution, before they 
can become members of Christ's spiritual kingdom. 

The conversion of a sinner involves also a sorrow for sin. 
This is fitly called a godly sorrow ; because, while it is a work 
of the Spirit, it inclines its subjects to fear God, to hate sin, 
and to pray for pardon. Hence Jesus said to the people, 
" Blessed are they that mourn ; for they shall be comforted." 

This godly or penitential sorrow was realized by the publi- 
can, when he " smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful 
to me a sinner ; " by those convicted sinners who said to the 
apostles, on the day of Pentecost, " Men and brethren, what 
shall we do ? " by Saul of Tarsus, when " he trembling and 
astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do ? " and 
by the Philippian jailor, when he said to Paul and Silas, 
" Sirs, what must I do to be saved ?" 

But the conversion of a sinner has its culmination in a 
conciousness of pardon and peace with God. When Jesus 
said, " Blessed are the poor in spirit," He did not mean, 
that a consciousness of being poor in spirit can make any one 
happy ; nor did He mean, when He said, " Blessed are they 
that mourn," that any one could mourn and be truly happy 



THE GREAT TEACHER. 261 

at the same time. He could only mean, that the " poor in 
spirit/' and "they that mourn/' when compared with the 
ungodly world, are in a happy or blessed condition. They 
are blessed, because their eyes are opened to see their 
spiritual destitution and moral pollution. They are blessed, 
because they are the subjects of that godly sorrow which 
" worketh repentance to salvation." They mourn, but 
" they shall be comforted." 

The promises of God to the subjects of penitential sorrow 
are both numerous and encouraging. He says, "To this 
man will I look, even to him that is poor, and of a contrite 
spirit, and trembleth at my word." (Isa. 66 : 2.) Jesus 
says, " Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, 
and I will give you rest." (Matt. 11 : 28.) God comforts 
the mourner by a gracious pardon j by "peace of conscience ;" 
by the " spirit of adoption ; " and by "joy unspeakable and 
full of glory." Then can he sing : — 

" O happy day that fixed my choice 
On Thee, my Saviour and my God ! 
Well may this glowing heart rejoice, 
And tell its raptures all abroad." 

2. The perpetuity and claims of the moral law. Jesus 
says, "think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the 
prophets : I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For 
verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass away, one 
jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be 
fulfilled." (Matt. 5 : 17, 18.) 



262 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

The phrase, " the law and the prophets," designates the 
writings of Moses and the prophets ; or, the whole of the Old 
Testament Scriptures ; which are an embodiment of the 
Jewish religion. And as the rulers were teaching the people 
that the doctrines of Christ, if generally believed, would sub- 
vert, or, at least, revolutionize both their polity and 
religion, it was timely and proper that He should place Him- 
self before them in His true attitude. He therefore informed 
them, in unequivocal terms, that it was not His purpose to 
abrogate, oppose, or disregard any feature of their law, or 
anything written by their prophets : that He came "not to 
destroy, but to fulfill." 

The ceremonial laws of the Jews were typical of Christ and 
of things pertaining to the Gospel dispensation ; and were 
therefore intended to be temporary. Hence, when those types 
and shadows were fulfilled in Christ, and in the establish- 
ment of His kingdom on earth, they ceased to be binding 
upon mankind, and so passed away. But the moral laws 
which God revealed to Israel by the hand of Moses were of 
a different nature. They may be regarded as a transcript of 
God's moral attributes, involving the essential principles of 
His moral government ; and, therefore, as being unalterable 
and of universal application. 

3. The necessity of moral purity. " I say unto you, That 
except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of 
the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the 
kingdom of heaven." (Matt. 5 : 20.) This superior right- 
eousness or rectitude implies, as our Lord shows, 



THE GREAT TEACHER. 263 

1.) Purity of heart. " Blessed are the pure in heart ; for 
they shall see God.' 7 (Matt. 5 : 8.) The human heart is by 
nature " deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked ;'* 
but it may be washed from all moral impurity "in the 
blood of the Lamb." Purity of heart, therefore, implies the 
regeneration of our moral nature ; for, as our Lord argues, 
"Every good tree bringeth forth good fruit, but a corrupt tree 
bringeth forth evil fruit,' 7 (Matt. 7 : 17.) 

2.) Purity of motives. " When thou doest thine alms, 
do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in 
the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory 
of men." "And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the 
hypocrites are : for they love to pray standing in the syna- 
gogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be 
seen of men." (Matt, 6 : 2, 5.) Thus we are taught, that 
however right and proper an act may be in itself, if the 
motive is wrong, it cannot be a virtuous act ; for " God 
requires truth in the inward parts," as well as in outward 
actions. 

3.) Purity of language. " I say unto you, Swear not at 
all ; neither by heaven, for it is God's throne ; nor by the 
earth, for it is His footstool ; neither by Jerusalem, for it is 
the city of the great King. But let your communications be 
yea, yea ; nay, nay ; for whatsoever is more than these cometh 
of evil." (Matt, 5 : 34-37.) Our Lord had no reference 
however, in this language, to oaths legally administered in 
courts of justice ; but to the evil practice of profane swearing 



264 GOSPEL TIDIXGS. 

in common conversation. Nothing more clearly reveals a 
man's true character than his language ; " for out of the 
abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." Profane 
swearing is one of the most irrational and inexcusable vices 
to which men can be addicted ; and yet, it is exceedingly 
common. Some seem to think that a profane oath is neces- 
sary to establish the truthfulness of what they say ; than 
which nothing can be more absurd. It is to suppose that a 
man can prove his loyalty to the ninth commandment of the 
Decalogue by violating the third. The truth is, profanity is 
destructive of any one's credibility ; while he who expresses 
his thoughts in pure language, without the use of unmeaning 
and profane expletives, is most readily believed. How 
fitting then is the apostolic advice ; " Let no corrupt commu- 
nication proceed out of your mouth." (Eph. 4 : 29.) 

4. The duty of secret or closet prayer. " When thou 
prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut the 
door, pray to thy Father which is in secret ; and thy Father 
which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly." (Matt. 6 : 
6.) Our Lord employed no argument to convince the people 
that it was their duty to worship God in public prayer ; for 
this was believed by all the Jews. He did not fail, how- 
ever, to manifest His approval of this pious service, by 
directing how it should be conducted ; by bequeathing to 
His church a form of prayer ; and by His own example. 

From the impressive manner in which He presented the 
duty of closet prayer we have a right to conclude, that it is 



THE GREAT TEACHER. 265 

peculiarly acceptable to God, and highly promotive of the 
spiritual interests of His people. They pray in secret, but 
God rewards them openly. Indeed, the obligation to pray to 
God at all, involves the duty of secret prayer ; for " men 
ought always to pray/' and to " pray without ceasing." 

Several important facts may be predicated of private 
prayer, which cannot be truthfully ascribed to that which is 
publicly performed. First, It may be exercised by all 
people. Circumstances may render it difficult for some, and 
impossible for others, to lead in public prayer ; but no cir- % 
cumstance can prevent any rational human being from 
worshipping God in secret prayer. Second, It is a strong 
proof of the moral honesty of its subjects, in regard to their 
religious life. That men may be influenced in their prayers 
by improper motives, is beyond dispute ; for Jesus tells us of 
;Some who loved to pray in public places to be seen of men, 
and of others who, for a pretence, made long prayers. But 
he who habitually prays to God in secret, cannot be moved 
to do so by any sinful or improper motive. Third, It is 
essential to a life of true piety. The principle of spiritual 
life is the indwelling love of God ; bnt this love is realized 
by those only who hold communion with God in secret 
prayer. Without this, men may have the form of godliness, 
but cannot enjoy the power. 

5. Trust in the providence of God. " Take no thought 
for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink ; nor 
yet for your body, what ye shall put on." (Matt. 6 : 25.) 



266 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

We must not understand our Lord to forbid that careful cal- 
culation, or prudent forethought, which is necessary to the 
successful prosecution of life's various employments. The 
original word which is rendered thought, means undue anxiety 
or solicitude. His injunction, therefore, is simply this : Be 
not anxiously concerned about the supply of your temporal 
wants. Painful anxiety in regard to this question is a wide 
spread evil in human experience — an evil, however, which is 
not confined to the poor and the needy, bat is realized by 
many also who abound in wealth. It does not depend, there- 
fore, upon external circumstances. 

Its real cause is a want of a Scriptural trust in the over- 
ruling and superintending providence of God. It is not 
wonderful that unbelievers should have painful anxiety 
respecting their future sustentation ; but such an experience 
is incompatible with the Christian character. Our Lord 
taught the people, by several weighty considerations, that 
they should dismiss all anxious care, and repose an unshaken 
confidence in the Fatherly character and gracious promises of 
God. He gives food to the beasts of the field, and to the 
fowls of the air ; He clothes the plants of the earth in gar- 
ments of beauty surpassing the glory of Solomon ; and will 
He not supply the wants of His children ? He knows what 
they need, and has emphatically declared, that " no good thing- 
will He withhold from them that walk uprightly." Jesus- 
therefore says, " Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His 
righteousness ; and all these things shall be added unto you.'* 
(Matt. 6 : 33.) 



THE GREAT TEACHER. 267 

6. The necessity of practical godliness. " Not every one 
that saith unto me Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom 
of heaven ; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is 
in heaven." (Matt. 7 : 21.) It is eminently proper that 
men should honor Christ by a public profession of His 
religion ; but a mere profession, unaccompanied by practical 
obedience to the law of God, is no qualification for heaven. 
Hence our Lord says, " \\ r hosoever heareth these sayings of 
mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, 
which built his house upon a rock." But, on the other hand, 
" Every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth 
them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his 
house upon the sand." (Matt. 7 : 24, 26.) 

II. The manner of His teaching. "He taught 
them as one having authority, and not as the Scribes." This 
description of the manner in which our Lord taught the 
people, is expressed both negatively and positively. 

1. He did not teach " as the Scribes" These took their 
name from their employment. They were writers ; and, as 
in ancient times comparatively few had the ability to write, 
experts in this art were highly esteemed. Scribes, under the 
Jewish economy, were of two classes, civil and ecclesiastical. 
The former acted as secretaries in recording the political and 
military affairs of the nation. Thus, Seraiah was scribe 
under the reign of David; (II. Samuel 8 : 17.) and Jeiel r 
under the reign of Uzziah. (II. Chron. 26 : 11.) 



268 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

The ecclesiastical Scribes were at first employed in writing 
copies of the law ; but by a very natural process they soon 
came to be regarded as its proper expounders. Thus it is 
said of Ezra, that "he was a ready Scribe in the law of 
Moses ; " and that he " had prepared his heart to seek the 
law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes 
and judgments." (Ezra 7 : 6, 10.) These are the only 
Scribes mentioned in the New Testament ; who are also 
called lawyers, and doctors of the law. 

The teachings of the Scribes consisted largely in dry details 
of rabinical opinions, and traditionary dogmas ; many of 
which either contradict the law of Moses, or obscure its real 
meaning. Hence Jesus said to them, " Ye have made the 
commandment of God of no effect by your tradition." 
(Matt, 15:6.) 

2. " He taught them as one having authority." He had 
authority, and therefore He taught in His own true character. 
On this point we offer a few brief remarks. 

1.) Jesus claimed Divine authority. Early in His public 
ministry, being in the synagogue at Xazareth on the Sabbath 
day, and being requested, as it would seem to conduct the 
services of the hour, He read from the book of Isaiah the 
following passage, as quoted by St, Luke : — " The Spirit of 
the Lord is upon me, because He hath annointed me to preach 
the Gospel to the poor ; He hath sent me to heal the broken- 
hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and the recover- 
ing of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are 



THE GREAT TEACHER. 269 

bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord." (Luke 
4:18, 19.) And when He had taken His seat, He com- 
menced His discourse by saying, " This day is this Scripture 
fulfilled in your years ears ; " thus claiming to be the very 
person spoken of by the inspired prophet. On another occa- 
sion He gave equally positive testimony respecting His 
authority as a divinely appointed teacher ; saying, " I pro- 
ceeded forth and came from God ; neither came I of myself, 
but He sent me." (John 8 : 42.) "In the beginning was 
the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was 
God." 

2.) This claim of our Lord was triumphantly established 
by His miraculous works. This was rationally and honestly 
admitted by Mcodemus, when he said, " We know that thou 
art a teacher come from God ; for no man can do these 
miracles that Thou doest, except God be with him." (John 
3:2.) To these He appeals for the proof of His diviue 
authority, when arguing with the unbelieving Jews. He 
says, " The works that I do in my Father's name bear wit- 
ness of me. If I do not the works of my Father believe 
me not ; but if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the 
works ; that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in 
me, and I in Him." (John 10 : 25, 37, 38.) 

3.) But the phrase, " as one having authority" may be 
understood to mean that there was, in our Lord's way of in- 
struction, a peculiarly impressive persuasiveness. It is a well 
known fact, that the impressiveness of any public speech 



270 GOSPEL TIDIXGS. 

dejDends as much upon the manner of the speaker, as upon 
what he says ; but as Jesus Christ was, in all respects, a 
perfect man, His discourses must have been such, both in 
matter and manner, as were best calculated to accomplish the 
desired end. The Xew Testament reveals several traits in 
His manner of teaching, which doubtless had a tendency to 
make His deliverances forceful and effective ; a few of which 
we will notice. And 

(1.) The language which He employed Avas plain and 
popular. He could have spoken to the multitudes in classic 
Greek — the language of the literati ; but he chose to employ 
the Hellenistic dialect, as distinguished from the Attic ; 
doubtless because that was the common language of the age, 
and could be understood by all. It is therefore asserted, that 
" the common people heard Him gladly." (Mark 12 : 3.) 

(2.) The figures and parables which He employed were 
admirably adapted to the illustration and enforcement of the 
doctrines which He taught. They were at once simple, 
familiar, and striking. His illustration of the new birth, by 
the operation of the wind ; of the folly of expecting true 
happiness from earthly treasures, by the parable of the rich 
farmer ; of the small beginning and subsequent expansion of 
Christ's kingdom in the world, by the parable of the mustard 
seed ; and of the infinite love of God toward fallen man, by 
the parable of the prodigal son. 

(3.) He was faithful and fearless in His condemnation of 
moral evil, in all its various forms. He was as ready to 



THE GREAT TEACHER, 271 

reprove the rich and the influential, as the poor and the lowly. 
In this sense He was no respecter of persons. Hence He 
was heard to say, in His public addresses, " Woe unto you 
that are rich ! for ye have received your consolation." (Luke 
■6 : 24.) " Woe unto you also, ye lawyers ! for ye lade men 
with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch 
not the burdens with one of your fingers." (Luke 11:46.) 
" Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites ! for ye 
shut the kingdom of heaven against men ; for ye neither go 
in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go 
in." (Matt. 23 : 13.) " Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, 
how can ye escape the damnation of hell ? " (Matt. 23 : 33.) 
(4.) He was a loving and sympathizing teacher. As the 
plan of human redemption originated in divine love toward 
our fallen race, so every step in its development has unfolded 
the same principle. It was as really a work of divine benev- 
olence, for Jesus Christ to dispel the moral darkness which 
covered the earth, and to become the light of the world by 
the promulgation of Gospel truth, as it was for Him to 
" bear our sins in His own body on the tree ; " and it was 
equally necessary to our salvation. " I am come a light into 
the world," said our Lord, " that whosoever believeth on me 
should not abide in darkness." (John 12 : 46.) He there- 
fore makes this gracious and encouraging proclamation : 
u Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and 
I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of 
me ; for I am] meek aud^lowly in heart ; and ye shall find 
rest unto your souls." (Matt. 11 : 28, 29.) 



272 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

His philanthropic nature, however, was not fully satisfied 
with even this broad, gracious, and pressing invitation. He 
sustained a more active relation to the work of human recov- 
ery than merely to administer to the wants of those who 
sought His aid. It is written of Him that " He went about 
doing good ; " and that He l ' is come to seek and to save that 
which was lost." 

But never was the pitying love of Jesus more forcibly 
expressed, than when He wept over the city of Jerusalem. 
He knew that the city was doomed to inevitable and utter 
destruction, and that God had forsaken her unbelieving and 
wicked children ; nevertheless, with eyes dimmed in tears of 
sorrow, and in language of heartfelt commiseration He 
exclaimed, " If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this 
thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace ! but now 
they are hid from thine eyes." (Luke 19 : 42.) "O Jeru- 
salem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest 
them that are sent unto thee ; how often would I have gath- 
ered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood 
under her wings, and ye would not ! " 

We will close our discourse, by a few deductory remarks. 
And 

1. In the history of our Lord we have an exemplification 
of the infinite love and compassion of God toward our fallen 
race. The fountain-head of redeeming love is in God the 
Father, who " so loved the world, that He gave His only 
begotten Son," to save us from death. St. John, who 



THE GREAT TEACHER. 273 

perhaps knew more of the mind of God than any other man, 
speaks of this act of the Father, as being the strongest possi- 
ble proof of the Divine benevolence. He says, "Herein is 
love" as though it were nowhere else so gloriously manifested ; 
"herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, 
and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (I. 
John 4 : 10.) 

Equally declarative of infinite benevolence is the redeem- 
ing work of onr Lord. Though truly Divine, He laid aside 
the glory which He had with the Father before the world 
was, "made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him 
the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. 
And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Him- 
self, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the 
cross." (Phil. 2 : 7, 8.) Well may we exclaim, in the 
language of Dr. Watts ; — 

" O for this love let rocks and bills 

Their lasting silence break ; 
And all harmonious human tongues, 

The Saviour's praises speak." 

2. The redeeming love of God carries with it His willing- 
ness to save all men. The work of redemption, so far as it 
was necessary to make human salvation a possibility, was 
absolute; but the personal salvation of those who are capable 
of moral agency is conditional. They who receive Christ 
shall be saved — they who reject Him shall be condemned. 



274 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

When we say, therefore, that God is willing to save all men, 
we simply mean what is taught by St. Paul ; that " God our 
Saviour will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the 
knowledge of the truth." (I. Tim. 2 : 3, 4.) !S T o doctrine 
of the Bible is more clearly and solemnly revealed than this. 
"As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the 
death of the wicked ; but that the wicked turn from his way 
and live." (Ezek. 33 : 11.) It is the opinion of some that 
it pleased God, by an eternal and unchangeable decree, to 
foreordain a certain number of human beings to everlasting 
death ; but we regard the opinion as a libel on the character 
of God and the religion of the Bible. 

3. The Gospel ministry is a calling of dignity and respon- 
sibility. The dignity of the calling is indicated by several 
facts : First By the example of the Son of God, who 
" brought life and immortality to light," by proclaiming His 
own everlasting Gospel. When heaven comes down to 
enlighten earth, there is dignity, as well as condescension, in 
the wonderful event. Second. By the Divine appointment 
of a class of men as ministers of the Gospel. This ecclesias- 
tic order was ordained by our Lord, when, from among His 
numerous disciples He selected the twelve, whom He denom- 
inated apostles ; making them His coadjutors in the 
work of preaching the Gospel to the Jews. Before His 
ascension, however, He renewed their commission, and enlarged 
their field of operation : saying to them, " Go ye into all the 
world, and preach the Gospel to every creature ; " giving 



THE GKEAT TEACHER. 275 

them and their successors in office the gracious and encourag- 
ing promise, " Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end 
of the world." Third. By the nature of the work which 
ministers of the Gospel are called to do. Their life work- is 
to promote the intellectual culture and moral purification of 
fallen man ; or, in other words, to win souls for Christ. 
This work was clearly expressed by our Lord, in His com- 
mission to Saul of Tarsus, when He said, " Delivering thee 
from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I 
send thee, to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to 
light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may 
receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them 
which are sanctified by faith that is in Me." 

But while the ministerial calling is one of dignity and 
honor, it is .one of awful responsibility. True ministers of 
the Gospel believe that they are inwardly moved, by the 
Holy Ghost, to take upon them this office in the Church of 
God. They are Divinely appointed legates, to transact 
spiritual business with a rebellious world. St. Paul says, 
' * We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech 
you by us : we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to 
God." They are Christ's witnesses, called to " tell the truth, 
the whole truth, and nothing but the truth ; " for which they 
must give account to God at the last day. 

" "Pis not a cause of small import 

The pastor's care demands ; 
But what might fill an angel's heart, 

And filled a Saviour's hands." 



Receiving Christ. 



"As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become 
the sons of God ; even to them that believe on His name" 
(John 1 : 12.) 

Our Lord proposed a question to the Pharisees of His day, 
which may be regarded by all people, and in every age of the 
world, as a test question in the ascertainment of true Chris- 
tian character. The question is this : " What think ye of 
Christ?' 7 In this brief interrogatory are centered the dearest 
interests of mankind ; for a truthful answer will tell whether 
men are walking in the path of life, or in the broad way 
which leads to eternal death. Our present moral condition, 
and our future destiny, both depend upon our appreciation of 
Christ and the relation which we sustain to Him. " He that 
believeth on Him is not condemned ; (or is justified) but he 
that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not 
believed on the name of the only begotten Son of God." 

This chapter brings to our notice three distinct classes of 
persons. The first, called the world, comprehended those who 
had no knowledge of the Redeemer. " He was in the world, 
and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him 
not." The second class included the great body of the Jews, 
who are spoken of as Christ's own people. "He came to His 

276 



RECEIVING CHRIST. 277 

own, and His own received Him not." But the third class 
included those who believed Him to be the promised Mes- 
siah ; and of whom it is said, " As many as received Him, to 
them gave He power to become the sons of God ; even to 
them that believe on His name." 

The text will lead us to the consideration of two questions ; 
First, What is it to receive Christ ? Secondly, What is im- 
plied in the distinguished privilege conferred upon those who 
receive Him? 

I. What is it to receive Christ ? We answer ; to 
receive Him as He is offered to us in the Gospel, is 

1. To believe that He is the promised llessiah and Son of 
God. That this exercise of faith is an essential element of 
Christian character, is evident from the teachings of the New 
Testament Scriptures. On a certain occasion our Lord said 
to His disciples, " Whom do men say that I the Son of man 
am ?" They replied, " Some say that Thou art John the Bap- 
tist ; some, Elias ; and others, Jeremias, or one of the 
prophets." But when He inquired, " Whom say ye that I 
am ?" Peter answered, " Thou art Christ, the Son of the 
living God." This reply of Peter was so pleasing to the 
Master, that He said, " Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona ; 
for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my 
Father which is in heaven." (Matt. 16 : 15-17.) 

At another time, many of our Lord's disciples became of- 
fended at His doctrine, forsook Him, " and walked no more 
with Him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also 



278 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

go away ?" to which Peter replied, " Lord, to whom shall we 
go ? Thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe 
and are sure that Thou art that Christ, the Son of the living 
God." (John 6:66-69.) 

When the Ethiopian eunuch said to Philip, " See, here is 
water ; what doth hinder me to be baptized ? Philip said, If 
thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he 
answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of 
God." And upon this profession Philip baptized him. (See 
Acts 8 : 36-38.) 

To believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God and 
the promised Messiah, is necessary to the obtainment of 
pardon and eternal life. Hence our Lord, after making this 
claim in the presence of a Jewish auditory, said to them, "If 
ye believe not that I am He, ye shall die in your sins." But 
on the other hand, St. John asserts, " Whosoever belie veth 
that Jesus is the Christ is born of God." (I. John 5:1.) 
We must not understand the apostle to mean, however, that 
whosoever believes this one article is born again ; for this is 
contradicted by matters of fact. His meaning is, that whoso- 
ever believes Jesus Christ to be the annointed Saviour of the 
world, and receives Him as such, becomes a child of God. 
To receive Christ is 

2. To make His teachings the rule of our religious belief. 
Moses said, as quoted by St. Luke, " A prophet shall the 
Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto 
me ; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say 



RECEIVING CHRIST. 279 

unto you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which 
will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed, from among 
the people." (Acts 3 : 22, 23.) 

That this prediction related to Jesus Christ cannot be de- 
nied ; and thus " God, who at sundry times and in divers 
manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 
hath in these last days spoken unto us by His So7i." (Heb. 
1:1, 2.) The duty to receive Him as our religious Teacher 
is solemnly enjoined upon all men, and enforced by two 
weighty considerations. The first is, that He is our instructor 
by Divine appointment. " A prophet shall the Lord your 
God raise up unto you." The second consideration is, that 
destruction is the penalty of refusing to hear Him. " Every 
soul which will not hear that Prophet, shall be destroyed 
from among the people." Most appropriate, therefore, is the 
apostolic exhortation, " See that ye refuse not Him that 
speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that 
spake on earth, (Moses) much more shall not we escape, if 
we turn away from Him that speaketh from heaven." (Heb. 
12 : 25.) To receive Christ is 

3. To comply with His terms of discipleship. That He, 
by His redeeming work, made it possible for all men to be 
saved ; that He is willing to save all ; and that, in His own 
language, " all things are ready," are propositions susceptable 
of the clearest proof. But it is also true, that no rational 
man is ever made a subject of saving grace, independent of 
his own moral agency. Accordingly Jesus said, " If any 



280 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

man will come after me, (or be my disciple), let him deny 
himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." (Matt. 
16 : 24.) " And again, whosoever does not bear his cross, and 
come after me, cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14 : 27.) 
Three things are therefore necessary for every man to do, to 
become truly a disciple of Jesus Christ. 

1.) He must deny himself; or, in other words he must 
refuse to follow the promptings of his own carnal nature, in 
doing what is morally wrong. The Divine requirement is 
this : " Put away the evil of your doings from before mine 
eyes; cease to do evil." (Tsa. 1: 16.) " Let the wicked 
forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts." 
(Isa. 55 : 7.( If men will not " cease to do evil," there is 
no hope that they will ever " learn to do well." 

2.) He must take up his cross ; that is, he must embrace 
the religion of Christ with the understanding that it implies 
labor and suffering ; and with determination, God being his 
helper, to respond to all its claims, and to endure all its suf- 
ferings ; in hope of its eternal rewards. This duty was 
forcibly exemplified by Moses, when he " refused to be called 
the son of Pharaoh's daughter." He chose " rather to suffer 
affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures 
of sin for a season ; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater 
riches that the treasures in Egypt ; for he had respect unto the 
recompense of reward." (Heb. 11 : 24-26.) It is a tenet of 
the Gospel, " that we must through much tribulation enter 
into the kingdom of God." (Acts 14 : 22.) It follows, 



RECEIVING CHRIST. 281 

therefore, that unless we are willing to " labor and suffer 
reproach," to " endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus 
Christ," we cannot be His " disciples indeed." 

3.) He must follow Christ. This implies two things; to 
be associated with His people, and to copy His example. 
The visible Church of Christ is a Divinely organized asso- 
ciation, for the glory of God and the salvation of men, It 
had its beginning in our Lord's selection of His twelve 
apostles ; which established the division of mankind into two 
classes, the Church and the world. Hence Jesus said to 
them, " If ye were of the world, the world would love his 
own ; but because ye are uot of the world, but I have chosen 
you out of the world, therefore the world hatetli you." 
(John 15 : 19.) 

Around this nucleus of Church organization were gathered, 
during our Lord's ministry, those who believed on Him, and 
were willing to confess Him ; and so rapidly did His dis- 
ciples multiply in Judea, that at the time of His ascension 
there were, in the city of Jerusalem, about a hundred and 
twenty. This number was augmented, on the day of Pente- 
cost, by the addition of three thousand ; and, as time rolled 
on, " the Lord added to the Church daily such as were 
saved." 

The history of apostolic times shows that to follow Christ 
was, to become members of His visible Church, by confess- 
ing Him in the ordinance of baptism. But many believed on 
Him, who nevertheless refused to confess Him ; some, 



282 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

because they feared their fellow men, and others, because 
they preferred the friendship of the world to the approval of 
God. Persons of this class may possess many very amiable 
qualities, and be held in reputation among men ; but their 
religious status proves them to be of the world, and in 
reality, enemies to the cause of Christ. " He that is not 
with me," said the great Teacher, " is against me, and he that 
gathereth not with me scattereth abroad." (Matt. 12 : 30.) 

But to follow Christ is also to copy* His example. St. 
Paul tells us that, as God foreknew those who would 
believe in time, He also foreordained them to be conformed 
to the image of His Son." (Pom. 8 : 29.) St. Peter says, 
" Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we 
should follow His steps." (I. Peter 2 : 21.) And St. John 
asserts, " He that saith he abideth in Him (Christ) ought to 
walk, even as He walked." (I. John 2 : 6.) That St. Paul 
regarded our Lord's practical life as an exemplification of 
the religion which He taught, may be inferred from his 
exhortation, " Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of 
Christ." (I. Cor. 11: 1.) 

4.) To trust alone in His redeeming work, as the meritorious 
cause of salvation. No doctrine of the New Testament is 
more clearly taught, or more frequently alluded to, than that 
of salvation through the merits of Christ. It is expressed 
in such a variety of verbal forms, that he who will interpret 
Scripture by Scripture, can hardly fail to comprehend the 
doctrine in its true light. He " who knew no sin," was 



RECEIVING CHRIST. 283 

made a sin offering for us, " that we might be made the 
righteousness of God in Him." (II. Cor. 5 : 21.) We are 
therefore "justified freely by His grace, through the redemp- 
tion that is in Christ Jesus." (Rom. 3 : 24.) " In whom 
we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of 
sins according to the riches of His grace." (Eph. 1 : 7.) 

When we speak of trusting alone in the merits of Christ 
for salvation, our meaning is, that we must discard all 
dependence upon anything we possess, anything we have 
done, anything we can do, or anything that our fellow crea- 
ture can do for us, as a ground of hope that we shall be 
saved. " By grace are ye saved through faith ; and that not 
of yourselves : it is the gift of God." (Eph. 2 : 8.) " Not 
by works of righteousness which we have done, but accord- 
ing to His mercy He saved us." (Titus 3 : 5.) We use the 
term trust, in this conuection, not in the sense of mere intel- 
lectual belief; but in that of personal reliance on God's 
redeeming plan, as the only and all sufficient means of our 
salvation. Thus far, by Divine assistance, the believing 
penitent may go in receiving Christ ; but no farther. His 
experience, at this point, is forcibly indicated by the language 
of Dr. Watts : 

" Here, Lord, I give myself away, 
'Tis all that I can do." 

II. The DISTINGUISHING PRIVILEGE granted to 
those who receive Christ. " To them gave He power 
to become the sons of God ; even to them that believe on His 



284 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

name.' 7 The term k^ovamv, rendered power, means, in its 
primary acceptation, the ability, power, or faculty of doing 
anything. It is difficult, perhaps impossible, to convey, id a 
few words, a lucid exposition of this passage of Scripture ; 
but believing it to teach an important fact in Christian 
experience, we will express our views respecting its doctrinal 
import. 

We remark, First, That to receive Christ, and to believe 
on His name, are phrases which signify the same thing. 
They both denote a believing and practical adoption of the 
Gospel plan of salvation. Second, To receive Christ, in the 
sense of the text, does not imply the new birth, but is a nec- 
essary prerequisite to it. The sacred writer does not say, as 
many as received Him became the sons of God ; but, " as 
many as received Him, to them gave Re power to become the 
sons of God." Third. It follows, therefore, that they 
become the sons of God subsequent to their reception of Christ 
and by an immediate Divine act. 

Some theologians understand the term kfjovamv, here trans- 
lated power, to mean privilege, and so have rendered it ; but 
we see no reason why it should be so far deflected from its 
primary and common import. We readily admit that to be 
the children or sons of God is a privilege — a glorious privi- 
lege, and so we are treating the question in this connection ; 
but who does not know that there is a wide difference 
between a privilege of any kind, and the power or authority 
on which that privilege depends ? The privilege is one thing, 



RECEIVING CHRIST. 285 

its cause is another. In this case, the privilege is in being 
the sons of God ; its cause is Divine : for, if the " power to 
become the sons of God," which Christ gave to those who 
received Him, was not causative of the effect, they were not 
born of God. It is declared, however, that they " were born, 
not of blood, nor of the will of the fiesh, nor of the will of 
man, but of God." (John 1 : 13.) 

The word, e^ovmav 1 is employed, in the New Testament 
Scriptures, one hundred and six times. In our authorized 
version it is once rendered jurisdiction ; once, liberty ; once, 
strength ; twice, right ; thirty times, authority ; and seventy- 
one times, poiver ; but in no case is it rendered privilege. 
Hence, as the original term, in so large a majority of cases, 
is rendered power ; and as there is no circumstance connected 
with this case to indicate any other meaning, we conclude 
that our authorized translation conveys the true sense of the 
original term. 

It is worthy of rsmark, moreover, that the sentence, " to 
them gave He power to become the sons of God," expresses a 
fact whieh takes place in the conversion of every one who is 
born of the Spirit. Man's moral ability, though assisted 
by the unconditional benefits of the atonement, is utterly 
unable to span the chasm which intervenes between a state of 
nature and a state of grace. He, therefore, who passes from 
the former to the latter, makes the transition by virtue of a 
special enabling act of God ; " who," as St. Paul says, " hath 
delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated 



286 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

us into the kingdom of His dear Son." (Col. 1 : 13.) And 
if to translate Enoch and Elijah to the kingdom of glory was 
a Divine work, so also is that moral change, by which a 
guilty sinner is made a new creature in Christ Jesus. It 
must therefore be evident to all who are willing to follow the 
teachings of the Bible, that while salvation comes to men 
through the exercise of faith, it is nevertheless a Divine 
work. " Salvation is of the Lord." 

Having made these expository remarks, we will proceed to 
consider what is implied in becoming the sons of God. Of 
those who enjoy this exalted privilege it may be asserted, 

1. That they are bom of God. The phrases, born of God, 
begotten of God, born of the Spirit, and born again, all 
mean the same thing. They designate that moral change 
which is effected by the Holy Spirit in fallen man, by which 
he is saved from the love, the practice, and the dominion of 
sin, and is strongly inclined to love God, and to keep His 
commandments. 

Theologians have been in the habit, for ages past, of desig- 
nating this moral change by the term regeneration ; but we 
are forced to the conclusion, that the Scriptures give us no 
authority for restricting the application of the term to the 
fact of the new birth. It may be fitly applied to this change, 
as the culminating act in the creation of the new man ; but it 
is equally applicable to the work of the Spirit, in every stage 
of man's salvation, from the hour of his conviction for sin, 
until the hour in which he is sanctified wholly, and qualified 
for heaven. 



RECEIVING CHRIST. 287 

The Greek word iraXc-yyeveata, which is rendered regeneration, 
literally signifies reproduction ; or the act of forming a thing 
into a new and better state. The term is used by Greek 
writers to express the renovation of the face of nature by the 
return of spring. Cicero, AA^riting to Atticus, expresses the 
state and dignity to which he AA r as reappointed after his 
return from exile, by the term regeneration. So also Jose- 
phus calls the restoration of Jerusalem, after the Babylonian 
captivity, the regeneration of his country. 

There are only two passages of the !S r eAA r Testament in 
which the term regeneration is employed. One is MattheAV 
19 : 28 ; but it is admitted by all, that in this case, it has no 
reference to the new birth. The other passage is Titus 3:5; 
in the folloAA T ing language : " Not by works of righteous- 
ness which AA*e haA T e done, but according to His mercy He 
saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and reneAAdng of 
the Holy Ghost." It vs ill hardly be claimed by any, except 
by those aaIio belie\ T e in baptismal regeneration, that the 
phrase " AA r ashing of regeneration," means being " born of 
the Spirit." It is simply another name for Christian bap- 
tism, which is a symbol of the neAA T birth ; but this change 
consists in " the renewing of the Holy Ghost," without Avhich 
the symbol Avould be una\^ailing. 

The many and impressive figures, by AA^hich the sacred 
AA'riters illustrate the nature of the new birth, prove it to be 
a thorough reno\ T ation of our AAdiole moral being. It is the 
bestoAvment of a new heart and a new spirit. God says, " A 



288 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put 
within you ; and I will take away the stony heart out of 
your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh." (Ezek. 
36 : 26.) It is a new creation. " If any man be in 
Christ, he is a new creature ; (or, he is created anew :) 
old things are past away ; behold, all things are become new." 
(II. Cor. 5:17.) It is Chi^ist in the heart. " I am crucified 
with Christ," said St. Paul," nevertheless I live, yet not I, 
but Christ liveth in me." (Gal. 2 : 20.) And finally, it is 
freedom from the dominion of sin. "For sin shall not have 
dominion over you ; for ye are not under the law, but under 
grace." (Rom. 6 : 14.) But of those who become the chil- 
dren of God it may be asserted, 

2. That they are in a state of justification. To justify is 
a forensic term, which, in its general acceptance, refers to the 
act of a judge in pronouncing a person just or righteous ; or, 
in declaring an accused party to be acquitted. In this sense, 
however, no human being can be justified before God ; " for 
all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." (Rom. 
3 : 23.) But there is a sense in which sinners of our race 
may be justified, namely, by a gracious pardon. They may 
be "justified freely, through the redemption that is in Christ 
Jesus." (Rom. 3 : 24.) It was in this sense that the publi- 
can " went down to his house justified." God bestowed 
upon him the mercy which he so humbly and earnestly im- 
plored, pardoned the sins which he so penitently confessed, 
and thus he became a subject of justifying grace. 



RECEIVING CHRIST. 289 

Various verbal forms are employed in the sacred 
Scriptures, to express this gracious act of God. Thus, 
the blotting out of sins, the remission of sins, the forgiveness 
of sins, the non-imputation of sin, and the imputation of 
righteousness are phrases, each one of which is synonymous 
with justification. To prove this the following passages are 
adduced. a Be it known unto you, therefore, men and 
brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the 
forgiveness of sins ; and by him all that believe are justified 
from all things." (Acts 13 : 38, 39.) " To Him that 
worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly 
his faith is counted for righteousness : even as David, de- 
scribeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth 
righteousness without works, saying, Blessed are they whose 
iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed 
is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin." (Rom. 
4 : 5-8.) 

Justification and the new birth are both instantaneous 
changes, which God bestows upon the subject in the same 
moment of time. It may therefore be truthfully asserted, 
that he who is born of the Spirit is also justified ; and that 
he who is justified is also born of the Spirit. But these 
gracious changes, though coetaneous, are widely different in 
their nature. Justification changes our condition of condem- 
nation and liability to punishment, to a state of reconcilia- 
tion and peace with God ; the new birth changes our moral 



290 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

nature from the love of sin and carnal pleasures, to the love 
of God and His holy law. The former restores us to the 
favor of God ; the latter, to His image. But while it belongs 
to God alone to justify ungodly sinners, and to change them 
by " the renewing of the Holy Ghost/' both these blessings 
come to them through faith in Christ. St. Paul says, " We 
conclude that a man is justified by faith, without the deeds 
of the law." (Rom. 3 : 28.) And in his letter to the Gala- 
tians he says, ye are all the children of God by faith in 
Christ Jesus." (Gal. 3:26.) Of all such it may be asserted, 

3. That they are the subjects of spiritual adoption. This ? 
in its literal sense, signifies that act of a person by which he 
receives the child of a stranger into his own family, securing to 
him all the rights, privileges, and benefits which belong to a 
natural child. In allusion to this custom among men, the term 
adoption is employed in a religious sense, and in regard to 
those who become the children of God. We may therefore 
define adoption to be that gracious act of God, by which He 
is pleased to make Himself known to those who are born of 
the Spirit as their reconciled Father, securing to them all the 
privileges and benefits of their filial relation. 

If this is a correct view of the subject, it will necessarily 
follow ; first, that those who become the subjects of saving 
grace have a knowledge of their happy change ; and secondly, 
that they gain an heirship to a glorious inheritance. 

1.) They have a knowledge of their happy change. No 
fact is more clearly taught in the sacred Scriptures, than that 
men may have a satisfactory assurance of their being in a 



RECEIVING CHRIST. 291 

state of grace. St. John asserts, " He that believeth on the 
Son of God hath the witness in himself.' 7 (I. John 5 : 10.) 
" We know that we have passed from death unto life." (I. 
John 3 : 14.) " We know that we are of God." (I. John 
5 : 19.) Equally positive is the testimony of St. Paul. He 
says, " We know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle 
were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made 
with hands, eternal in the heavens." (II. Cor. 5:1.) 

But if the children of God can come to know that they 
are born again, by what means do they obtain this knowledge ? 
To this we reply, there are two sources whence it may be 
derived : — The direct testimony of the Holy Spirit, and a con- 
sciousness of possessing the fruits of the Spirit. 

In regard to the direct witness of the Holy Spirit, the 
apostle says,. "Ye have not received the spirit of bondage 
again to fear ; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, 
whereby we cry, Abba, Father, the Spirit itself (or Himself) 
bearing witness with our spirit, that we are the children of 
God." (Horn. 8: 15, 16.) Again, "God sent forth His 
Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them 
that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption 
of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the 
Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father." 
{Galatians 4 : 4-6.) 

On these two passages we remark, that " the Spirit of 
adoption," " the Spirit itself," and " the Spirit of His Son," 
are phrases which mean the Holy Spirit; and that He is 



292 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

sent forth to make known to those who are justified, that 
they are the children of God. Hence the apostle says, " We 
have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit 
which is of God ; that we might know the things which are 
freely given to us of God." (I. Cor. 2 : 12.) This is in 
perfect agreement with the teaching of St. Peter on the day of 
Pentecost. When awakened sinners cried out, " Men and 
brethren, what shall we do ? " He replied, " Repent, and be 
baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for 
the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the 
Holy Ghost ; for the promise is to you, and to your children, 
and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our 
God shall call." (Acts 2 : 38, 39.) 

But to make the assurance of our filial relation to God 
doubly sure, we are permitted to carry with us a conscious- 
ness of possessing the fruits of the Spirit These are love, 
joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meek- 
ness, temperance." (Gal. 5 : 22, 23.) Such are the legiti- 
mate fruits of the Spirit, which may therefore be regarded as 
evidential of being born again. But we must not suppose 
that they are all equally discoverable in the experience of those 
who are born of God, or that they are all equally developed 
in any one person. There may be, in these respects, a great 
variety ; but as the new-born child possesses all the essential 
elements of humanity, so he who is born of the Spirit 
possesses, though in immaturity, all the essential elements of 
true Christianity. 



RECEIVING CHRIST. . 293 

Now, as all who are born of God possess, to a greater or 
less extent, the fruits of the Spirit; and as one of these 
fruits is love ; it necessarily follows, that he who is conscious 
of loving God, His law, His worship, and His people, has a 
right to conclude, that he is a subject of renewing grace. 
St. John asserts, " Every one that loveth is born of God, and 
knoweth God." (I. John 4 : 7.) 

This inferential proof of a filial relation to God, deduced 
from a conscious possession of the fruits of the Spirit, is 
essential to the enjoyment of a Scriptural assurance of the 
Divine approval. It was on this principle that St. Paul said 
to his Corinthian brethren, " Examine yourselves whether 
ye be in the faith ; prove your own selves. Know ye not 
your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye 
be reprobates." (II. Cor. 13 : 5.) This passage forcibly 
implies, that ' a state of grace is ascertainable ; for if it were 
not, the apostle might as well have addressed the inhabitants 
of the moon, on the duty of self-examination. But it also 
teaches the important lesson, that the indwelling of Christ in 
the human heart is the criterion of true Christianity. As if 
the apostle had said : If Jesus Christ is in you, ye are in the 
faith ; but if not, ye are reprobates. It is therefore a doctrine 
of the Bible, that Christ dwells in His people, not literally, 
however, for that is physically impossible ; but by the agency 
of His Spirit, directing, controlling and moulding them into 
His own moral image : and, " if any man have not the 
Spirit of Christ he is none of His." (Rom. 8 : 9.) But, 



294 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

2.) They are made heirs of a glorious inheritance. An 
heir, in a temporal sense, is one who inherits the property of 
another person, either by will, or as provided for by statutory 
law ; but in a theological sense, an heir is one who is born of 
the Holy Spirit, and graciously entitled to eternal life. 

St. Paul gives us a very encouraging vieAV of the heirship 
of God 7 s people. His language is this : " If children, then 
heirs ; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ." (Rom. 
8 : 17.) To be " heirs of God " is to have an interest in all 
that is implied in His being our reconciled Father. He says 
emphatically, to all true Christians, " I will be a Father 
unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters." (II. 
Cor. 6 : 18.) This relation secures to the children of God, 
even in the present life, a rich legacy of religious privileges, 
of gracious helps, and of spiritual endowments. The apostle 
could say to his Corinthian brethren, " All things are yours ; 
whether Paul or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or 
death, or things present, or things to come ; all are yours." 
(I. Cor. 3 : 21, 22.) This may mean that "all things work 
together for good to them that love God ; " or that " no good 
thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly." 

But the veritable reward of the Christian lies beyond the 
boundary of time. Hence Jesus says, " Be thou faithful 
unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." (Pev. 2 : 
10.) That He has prepared a glorious and eternal home for 
the pure and the holy, is a matter of express revelation. 
He said to His disciples, " I go to prepare a place for you : 



RECEIVING CHRIST. 295 

and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again ? 
and receive you unto myself ; that where I am, there ye may 
be also." (John 14 : 2, 3.) 

We do not claim that God has given us a full revelation 
of the heavenly home ; nor are we in circumstances, while in 
the body, to comprehend such a revelation, if it were even 
given. But enough has been revealed to influence us to set 
our affections on things above, and to make heaven the object 
of our earnest pursuit. St. John says, " It doth not yet 
appear what we shall be : but we know that, when He 
(Christ) shall appear, we shall be like Him ; for we shall see 
Him as He is." (I. John 3 : 2.) 

The place which our Lord prepared for His people is 
doubtless all that it can be desired to be — a place where they 
will for ever be exempted from all evil, and put in endless 
possession of 'all good. Their felicity, however, will not be 
derived from the beauty, grandeur, and glory of the heavenly 
home, but from God Himself, who alone is our " exceeding 
great reward ; " and without whom no human soul can be 
happy. 

Dr. Clark, commenting upon the phrase, " heirs of God," 
uses the following language : " It is neither an earthly 
portion, nor a heavenly portion ; but God Himself, who is to 
be their portion. It is not heaven they are to inherit ; it is 
God, who is infinitely greater and more glorious than heaven 
itself. With such powers has God created the soul of man, 



296 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

that nothing less than Himself can be a sufficient and satis- 
factory portion for the mind of this most astonishing 
creature." 

It is a well known fact, that no earthly possession — no 
temporal condition, can perfectly satisfy the innate desires of 
the human mind. Were men permitted to live a thousand 
years, and to have at their command all that earth can afford, 
experience would compel them to exclaim, in life's closing 
hour, " Vanity of vanities ; all is vanity ! " 

Revealed religion proves, beyond the shadow of a doubt, 
that God takes pleasure in the happiness of man ; but it 
proves with equal clearness, that this happiness can be found 
alone in fellowship with God. To all, therefore, who receive 
the truth, God becomes the supreme object of desire. How 
impressive is the language of the Psalmist ! " As the heart 
panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, 
O God." (Psa. 42 : 1.) "Whom have I in heaven but 
Thee"? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside 
Thee." (Psa. 73 : 25.) So Jeremiah, even in the midst of 
his wailings for the desolations of Jerusalem, could say, 
" The Lord is my portion, saith my soul." (Lam. 3 : 24.) 

Now, if Christians " are the temple of the living God," 
as St. Paul asserts ; if " God hath said, I will dwell in them, 
and walk in them," as he also asserts ; and if their " fellow- 
ship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ," as 
St. John asserts ; why should we hesitate to believe that God 
will be the portion of His people in the world to come ? 



RECEIVING CHRIST. 297 

We remark in conclusion, that the inheritance of the saints 
includes joint heirship with Christ. A joint heir is one who 
is heir with another, or with others, to a share in the same 
inheritance. Jesus Christ, as " the true God/ 7 is not an heir, 
but "Lord of all," and equal to the Father; nevertheless, as 
the incarnate Son of God and Redeemer of the world, He is 
"appointed heir of all things." And for as much as He 
voluntarily descended to the lowest depths of humiliation 
and suffering, in order to redeem our fallen race, the Father 
bestowed upon Him glory and honor, and " a name which is 
above every name." 

And now that Jesus Christ is thus glorified, He is willing 
to share His glory with all who become His disciples. He 
•says, " Father, I will that they whom Thou hast given me 
be with me where I am ; that they may behold my glory." 
(John 17:24.) Again, " To him that overcometh will I 
grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame 
.and am set down with my Father in His throne." (Rev. 
3 :21.) It follows, therefore, that if we receive Christ, and 
suffer with Him, we shall " be glorified together." 



Ascension of Christ. 



" He that descended is the same also that ascended up far 
above all heavens, that He might fill all things" (Ephe- 
sians 4 : 10.) 

The history of our blessed Lord is of more importance to 
us, and should be more interesting, than any other history ; 
because it is the history of the redemption of our fallen world 
— the history of our individual redemption. His advent to 
earth was not, as might have been expected, " to condemn 
the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. "' 
Every act of His eventful life was designed to promote the 
well being of man. For us He lived ; for us He died ; for 
us " He burst the bars of death, and triumphed o'er the 
grave ; " for us He ascended to heaven ; and for us He now 
occupies the mediatorial throne. 

The ascension of our Lord was one of the most wonderful 
and glorious events of His history. It was the last link of 
that mysterious chain of redeeming acts, by which earth was 
bound to the throne of God. To the consideration of this 
grand event we invite your attention while we notice : First, 
The fact itself; Second, Its evidences ; Third, Some of its 
attendant circumstances ; and, Fourth, The ends for which 
Christ ascended to heaven. 

298 



ASCENSION OF CHRIST. 299 

I. The fact itself. He " ascended up far above all 
heavens." By the ascension of Christ Ave mean, therefore, 
His visible elevation to heaven. This fact may be regarded 
as a subject of prophesy, as a matter of history, and as an 
object of desire on the part of our Lord. 

1. A subject of prophecy. It is commonly believed by 
theologians, that David, in two of his inspired songs, pre- 
dicted the ascension of Christ. Thus, " Thou wilt not leave 
my soul in hell ; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to 
see corruption. Thou wilt show me the path of life." (Psa. 
16 : 10,11.) Again, "Thou hast ascended on high ; Thou hast 
led captivity captive ; Thou hast received gifts for men ; yea, 
for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among 
them." (Psa. 67 : 18.) Jesus predicted His own ascension. 
He said to His disciples, " What and if ye shall see the Son 
of man ascend up where He was before? " (John 6 : 62.) 
To Mary He said, after His resurrection, " Go to my breth- 
ren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father and your 
Father, and unto my God and your God." (John 2 : 17.) 

2. A matter of history. St. Mark says, "So then, after 
the Lord had spoken unto them (the apostles) He was 
received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God." 
(Mark 16 : 19.) St. Luke's record is this: "And He led 
them out as far as to Bethany ; and He lifted up His hands 
and blessed them ; and it came to pass, while He blessed 
them, He was parted from them, and carried up into heaven." 
(Luke 24 : 50, 51.) In the book of Acts it is written ; "And 



300 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

when He had spoken these things, while they beheld, He 
was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight." 

Of these several accounts of our Lord's ascension this is 
the sum ; — He led His disciples out from the city of Jerusa- 
lem to Bethany ; He there delivered to them His valedictory, 
and, with uplifted hands, bestowed upon them His parting 
blessing ; He, while yet speaking, was parted from them, and 
began to ascend ; they beheld Him in His ascension, until a 
cloud received Him out of their sight ; He was carried up 
into heaven ; and took His seat at the right hand of God. 

In regard to this portion of sacred history we make two 
remarks ; — First, Though the narratives differ somewhat, 
both in specifications and phraseology, yet they present no 
contradiction. Second, While the recorded fact was the 
grandest sight ever beheld by human eyes, the language in 
which it was described by the sacred penman is perfectly 
plain and simple — a proof, by the way, that they "wrote as 
they were moved by the Holy Ghost." 

The body of Christ, in its resurrected state, and previous 
to His ascension, was doubtless, as He Himself described it, 
a body of " flesh and bones." It was the same body which 
was crucified on Calvary, and which lay in the tomb of 
Joseph. But as it is declared by apostolic authority that 
" flesh and blood cannot inherit the the kingdom of God." 
His fleshly body must have been changed, in the act of His 
ascension, to its spiritual and glorified state ; as doubtless 
were the bodies of Enoch and Elijah. Accordingly, His 
ascended body is denominated " His glorious body." 



ASCENSION OF CHEIST. 301 

3. An object of desire on the part of our Lord. In the 
seventh chapter of the Gospel by St. John, we have recorded 
the most touching and sublime prayer which ever fell from 
human lips. It was offered by Christ, in behalf of Himself 
and His beloved disciples ; and one of its petitions is this ; — 
" O Father, glorify Thou me with Thine own self, with the 
glory which I had with Thee before the world was." 

It is often asserted that Deity cannot suffer ; but if this is 
absolutely true in regard to all kinds and degrees of suffering, 
how could our Lord pray for the restoration of that glory 
which He had with the Father " before the world was ? " 
May we not believe that He suffered a temporary obscura- 
tion of His Divine glory, in connection with the sufferings of 
His humanity ? Be this as it may, He evidently manifest- 
ed a longing desire to "enter into His glory." In allusion 
to this the apostle says, " Who for the joy that was set before 
Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set 
down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Heb 12 : 2.) 

II. The evidences of Christ's ascension. This 
fact is established beyond successful contradiction, 

1. By the testimony of the apostles. It is highly probable 
that, on this memorable occasion, they were all present with 
the Master, and were eye witnesses of the ascension of their 
Lord. When therefore we take into consideration the 
number of these witnesses ; their capability to understand the 
facts to which they bore witness ; their reputation for truth- 
fulness and moral honesty ; the perfect agreement of their 



302 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

statements ; and, above all, the dedication of their whole life 
to the cause of Him whom they believed to be their ascended 
Lord ; we are forced to conclude, that if their testimony does 
not prove, beyond a doubt, the story of our Lord's ascension, 
no fact can be established by human testimony. 

2. By the testimony of those ivho saw Him after His 
ascension. Of this class of witnesses there are three. 

1.) Stephen, the protoinartyr. He is characterized in 
sacred history as "a man full of faith and of the Holy 
Ghost ; " and was doubtless a powerful and fearless defender 
of the Christian cause. When he was closing the last dis- 
course which he delivered, and immediately before he was 
stoned to death, he " looked steadfastly into heaven, and saw 
the glory of God," and the glorified Redeemer; and said, 
" Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man 
standing on the right hand of God." (Acts 7 : 55, 56.) 

2.) Saul of Tarsus. This notable man was present at 
the martyrdom of Stephen, gave his voice against him, and 
held the clothes of those who slew him ; nor did he then 
think it possible, that he, in a very short time, would make 
a jmblic profession of the same faith for which Stephen was 
put to death. And yet, this very fact became a matter of 
history, and Saul of Tarsus became Paul the apostle of Jesus 
Christ. 

But as the apostles of our Lord were looked upon as His 
witnesses, it was regarded as essential to this relation to have 
seen Him. Accordingly, St. Paul, when arguing in defense 



ASCENSION OF CHRIST. 303 

of his apostleship, said, " Am I not an apostle ? have I not 
seen Jesus Christ our Lord? " (I. Cor. 9:1.) And again, 
when recounting the several appearances of the risen Christ 
to His chosen witnesses, he said, " Last of all, He was seen 
by me also, as of one born out of due time." (I. Cor. 15 : 8.) 
But when did Saul of Tarsus see our Lord ? " We have 
no evidence that he saw Him during His public ministry, or 
during the forty days which followed His resurrection. 
Consequently he must have seen Him after His ascension to 
heaven ; and hence the apostle's remark, " as one born out of 
due time." Saul having obtained a commission, under Jewish 
authority, to persecute the Church of Christ, and, if possible, 
to destroy it, was on his way to the city of Damascus, in pur- 
suance of his wicked purpose. And as he drew near to the 
city, " suddenly there shined round about him a light from 
heaven : and he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying 
unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me ? And he 
said, Who art Thou, Lord ? And the Lord said, I am Jesus 
Whom thou persecutest," (Acts 9 : 3-5.) Now, that Saul, 
on that occassion, had a vision of the glorified Redeemer is 
abundantly evident; not only from the supernatural light which 
shone around him, " above the brightness of the sun," but 
particularly from the language of Ananias, who was sent to 
comfort him in his penitential sorrow. He said to him, 
u Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee 
in the way as thou earnest, hath sent me, that thou mightest 
receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost," (Acts 
9 : 17.) 



304 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

3.) St. John. He was characterized among his brethren 
as " the disciple whom Jesus loved " for though He loved 
all His disciples, He may have manifested His love for John 
in a particular manner. It is certain, however, that the 
enemies of Christ did not love him ; for they procured his 
banishment to the isle of Patnios, " for the word of God, 
and for the testimony of Jesus Christ." In this desolate 
island, though it was employed by Eoman authority as a 
place of confinement for criminals, the ascended Redeemer 
was pleased to appear to His servant John ; but the glory of 
His person was so transcendent, that the apostle who had 
formerly leaned upon His breast " fell at His feet as dead." 
In this case it was impossible to be mistaken, in regard to the 
person who appeared ; for John says, " He laid His right 
hand upon me, saying unto me, " Fear not • for I am the 
first and the last ; — I am He that liveth, and was dead ; 
and, behold, I am alive forever more." (Rev. 1 : 17, 18.) 

3. By the gift of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said to His 
disciples, while He was yet with them, " It is expedient for 
you that I go away : for if I go not away, the Comforter will 
not come unto you ; but if I depart, I will send Him unto 
you." Accordingly the disciples, relying upon the promise 
of their Lord, waited in faith and prayer for its fulfillment ; 
which they realized on the day of Pentecost, in a miraculous 
outpouring of the Holy Spirit. 

This event was evidently regarded by the apostles as 
positive proof that Jesus Christ had ascended to the Father ; 
for Peter testified, " This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof 



ASCENSION OF CHRIST. 305 

we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of 
God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise 
of the Holy Ghost, He hath shed forth this which ye now 
see and hear." (Acts 2 : 32.) 

It is worthy of remark, in this connection, that the crown- 
ing evidence of our Lord's ascension to the Father — the 
presence and work of the Holy Spirit — is to characterize the 
true Church of Christ throughout all generations ; and to be 
the heaven ordained proof that her members are born of God. 
Jesus said to His little flock, " I will pray the Father, and 
He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide 
with you forever ; even the Spirit of truth ; whom the^ 
world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither 
knoweth Him : but ye know Him ; for He dwelleth with 
you, and shall be in you." (John 14 : 16, 17.) 

III. Some attendant circumstances of Christ's 
ascension. Of these we will notice, 

1. The time. The event took place forty days after He x 
had risen from the dead. We do not pretend to know all the 
reasons which our Lord may have had for delaying His 
ascension so long. Two, however seem to be obvious. It 
was, 

1.) That the fact of His resurrection might be fully' 
established. This is a fundamental article in the Christian 
religion ; for, as St. Paul argues, " If Christ be not risen, 
then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain." It 



306 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

was therefore of the utmost importance to the Redeemer's 
cause that, before He ascended to heaven, He should give 
His disciples satisfactory proof of His resurrection. Accord- 
ingly the sacred historian tells us that, to His apostles " He 
showed Himself alive, after His passion, by many infallible 
proofs ; being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the 
things pertaining to the kingdom of God." (Acts 1 : 3.) 

2.) That He might prepare His apostles, by necessary 
instruction, for the worlz to which He had called them. There 
were doubtless lessons of vast moment to them, as ministers 
of the Gospel, which they, previous to the death and resur- 
rection of our Lord, were not in circumstances fully to com- 
prehend and appreciate. He therefore said to them, shortly 
before His death, " I have yet many things to say unto you, 
but ye cannot bear them now." (John 16 : 12.) But after 
His passion and resurrection from the dead He could impart 
to them, more easily than before, a clear understanding of 
the prophetic Scriptures respecting His redeeming work. 
Take, for example, His conversation with the two disciples 
on their way to Emmaus. The sacred historian says, 
" Beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded 
unto them, in all the Scriptures, the things concerning Him- 
self." (Luke 24 : 27.) And that " they said one to another, 
Did not our hearts burn within us, while He talked to us by 
the way, and while He opened to us the Scriptures ? " 

2. The place whence He ascended. He took His depar- 
ture from Bethany, a town on the eastern declivity of Mount 
Olivet, about fifteen furlongs from Jerusalem. There is food 



ASCENSION OF CHEIST. 307 

for reflection in that fondness for mountains, which was 
shown by our Lord during his earthly sojourn. Whether 
He loved them for their sublimity, or resorted to them as 
places most suitable for retirement and devotion, or for some 
other cause, we will not say ; but it is certain, that some of 
the most important events of His life are historically asso- 
ciated with mountains. It was on a mountain He delivered 
that greatest of all sermons, recorded by St. Matthew ; on 
Mount Tabor He was transfigured, in the presence of Peter, 
James and John, and of Moses and Elias from the spirit 
world ; on Mount Calvary He died for the redemption of 
the human race ; on a mountain in Galilee, according to j>re- 
vious appointment, He met His disciples, after He had risen 
from the dead ; and from Mount Olivet He ascended to 
heaven. 

But may we not find, in our Lord's humanity, a reason for 
His selecting Bethany as the place of His ascension ? We 
must bear in mind that He possessed all the essential ele- 
ments of humanity, and that therefore He must have been 
susceptable of both personal and local attachments. He had 
spent much of His ministerial life in the vicinity of Mount 
Olivet. To it He had often retired for rest, after the toils of 
a busy day. At its western foot lay the garden of Geth- 
semane, to which Jesus often repaired with His disciples ; 
a place rendered sacred to Him by what He suffered there, 
on the solemn night of His betrayal. On its eastern slope 
was situated the town of Martha, Mary and Lazarus — 



308 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

friends whom Jesus dearly loved, and in whose dwelling He 
always found a hearty welcome and a pleasant home. It was 
here, while He was feasted in the house of Simon the leper, 
that Mary anointed Him with costly ointment, " and wiped 
His feet with her hair ; " and here, too, He commenced His 
triumphal march to the city of Jerusalem, amid the plaudits 
and hozannas of an admiring multitude, as " the Son of 
David and King of Israel." It was, therefore, what might 
have been expected, that our Lord, in taking His departure 
from earth, would leave His last foot-prints where He had 
experienced so many interesting events, and where so many 
attractions had been thrown around Him. 

3. The Redeemer's last act in regard to His apostles. 
" He lifted up His hands and blessed them." We can hardly 
imagine a scene more solemn, pathetic, and sublime, than 
must have been the one which is here so simply and so 
briefly depicted. Jesus, at an early day in His public minis- 
try, had selected His twelve apostles from the mass of His 
disciples, that they might be witnesses of all that He would 
do and teach, in the accomplishment of His redeeming work ; 
and that they might be His first evangelists to our ransomed 
race. And they, believing Him to be the promised Messiah 
and Son of God, had forsaken all to follow Him. They had 
listened to His soul stirring discourses, and witnessed His 
stupendous miracles ; years .of closest intimacy had bound 
them to Him in the bonds of undying love and profound 
. veneration ; and hence it is easy to see, that the hour of our 
Lord's ascension was to them an hour of sorrow. 



•ASCENSION OF CHRIST. 309 

But there were circumstances in their history which, in 
this hour of trial, must have alleviated, to some extent, their 
mental suffering. The Master had previously given them 
the consoling promise, that His departure from them would 
be compensated by the gift and abiding presence of the Holy 
Spirit ; and now, with hands uplifted toward heaven, whither 
He was about to ascend, He solemnly bestows upon them 
His parting blessing. These facts must have inclined the 
apostles to dry up their tears, to cast away their gloomy 
forebodings, and to wait in faith and prayer, until they were 
Divinely qualified by " power from on high " to proclaim 
successfully to our fallen world the Gospel of the Son of God. 

4. A vision of angels. " And while they looked stead- 
fastly toward heaven, as He went up, behold, two men stood 
by them in white apparel ; which also said, " Ye men of 
Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same 
Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come 
in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven.' 7 (Acts 
1 : 10, 11.) These were likely the two angels who appeared 
when He rose from the dead. (See Luke 24 : 4.) 

IY. The ends for which Christ ascended to 
heaven. These are all included in the clause, "that He 
might fill all things ; " or, in other words, that He might 
carry on, to full and final completion, the work of human 
recovery. It was 

1. That He might appear in the presence of the Father as 
our exalted High Priest. St. Paul says, " We have a great 



310 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

High Priest, that is past into the heavens, Jesus the Son of 
God/' (Heb. 4 : 14.) Again, " We have such an High 
Priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the 
Majesty in the heavens." (Heb. 8:1.) And again, " Christ 
is not entered into the holy place made with hands, which 
are the figures of the true ; but into heaven itself, now to 
appear in the presence of God for us." (Heb. 9 : 24.) 

2. That He might he crowned universal King. Jesus was 
born to be the King of kings, and Lord of lords ; " but He 
was not fully inaugurated into His regal office, until He 
ascended to heaven. The Psalmist's prediction respecting 
His coronation and reign, is impressive and sublime. " Yet 
have I set my King upon my holy hill of Zion. I will 
declare the decree : the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my 
Son ; this day have I begotten Thee. Ask of me and I will 
give Thee the heathen for Thine inheritance, and the utter- 
most parts of the earth for Thy possession." (Psa. 2 : 6-8.) 

We have an equally interesting prediction in the angel's 
announcement of the Redeemer's birth, in regard to His 
regal character. It is this : " He shall be great, and shall 
be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God shall 
give unto Him the throne of His father David ; and He shall 
reign over the house of Jacob for ever ; and of His kingdom 
there shall be no end." (Luke 1 : 32, 33.) 

3. That He might exalt humanity, and bestow upon His 
servants that glory and immortality for which they were origin- 
ally intended. Satan succeeded in robbing man of his 



ASCENSION OF CHRIST. 311 

pristine holiness, in making him the slave of sin, and in 
bringing his body down to the dust. But in the glorified 
person of our Lord we see humanity in a state of 
perfecl moral purity and ineffable glory, seated upon the 
throne of the universe. Thus, as St. Paul says, " God hath 
highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above 
every name ; that at the name of Jesus every knee should 
bow." (Phil. 2:9, 10.) 

But in the exaltation of Christ, we have a pledge of our 
own immortality and eternal life. His saints have all a per- 
sonal interest in the victory which He achieved over death and 
the grave. Hence He says, "Because I live, ye shall live also." 
(John 14 : 19.) " I go to prepare a place for you. And if 
I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and 
receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be 
also." (John 14 : 2, 3.) And again, " To him that over- 
cometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I 
also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his 
throne." (Rev. 3 : 21.) It must be ^een by every rational 
mind, that God has placed immortal honors within the reach, 
of every redeemed sinner ; and that, all earthly honors, com- 
pared with those which come from God, dwindle into insig- 
nificance ; " for what is a man profited, if he shall gain the 
whole world, and lose his own soul ? " (Matt. 16 : 26.) 



Salvation Made Known by 
the Spirit. 



" Hereby we know that He abideth in .us, by the Spirit which 
He hath given us." (J. John 3 : 24.) 

Various figures are employed by the sacred writers to 
-characterize the relation which exists between God and His 
true worshipers. One is that of a father and his children. 
u I will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and 
•daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." Another is that of a 
vine and its branches. Jesus said to His disciples, " I am 
the Vine, and ye are the branches : . he that abideth in me, 
and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit." 

Again, the same subject is alluded to under the figure of a 
tenement and its occupant. "Know ye not," said St. Paul 
to the Corinthians, " that ye are the temple of God, and that 
the Spirit of God dwelleth in you ? " This is the figure em- 
ployed in the text. Jesus Christ, in the conversion of a 
sinner, dispossesses the " strong man armed," takes up His 
abode in the heart of the pardoned sinner, and establishes 
there His kingdom of " righteousness, and £>eace, and joy in 
the Holy Ghost," Thus He makes known His great salva- 



312 



SALVATION MADE KNOWN BY THE SPIRIT. 313 

tion to all who receive Him in truth ; enabling them to say, 
with humble confidence, " We know that He dwelleth in us, 
by the Spirit which He hath given us." 

To-be in Christ is to be in a state of justification ; for 
u There is no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus." 
The same may be asserted of those in whom Christ dwells ; 
for St. Paul says, in his letter to the Romans, " If Christ be 
in you, the body is dead because of sin ; but the spirit is life 
because of righteousness." 

The text gives rise to two distinct propositions ; First, 
That salvation in Christ is a knowable fact ; and Second, 
That a knowledge of this salvation is derived from the opera- 
tions of the Holy Spirit. 

I. Salvation in Christ is a knowable fact. 
But as the truthfulness of this proposition is called in ques- 
tion by some, it will be proper to adduce a few plain argu- 
ments in its support. There are not many who will roundly 
assert that it is impossible for any one to gain a knowledge 
of the Divine approval. The common objection to the doc- 
trine is, that though this knowledge may be granted to a 
favored few, it is not a common element of Christian exper- 
ience, and is not essential to the Christian character. We 
therefore remark, 

1. That to the gaining of this knowledge there is no physi- 
cal obstruction. It would be profane to deny the ability of 
God, to communicate to His intelligent and moral creatures 
anv kind or decree of knowledge, which He may see neces- 



314 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

sary or proper. The only question to be settled in this case 
is, ^Yhat is the will of God in regard to it? If it is His will 
that sinners saved by grace should have a knowledge of their 
conversion, He can bestow it upon them. 

Nor is there any thing in human condition to render this 
knowledge impossible. It is true, man, in his unrenewed 
state, is destitute of the knowledge of God, and unable to 
discern the things of the Spirit ; but this does not prove that 
a pardoned and renewed sinner cannot know that he has 
"passed from death unto life." We know that men can 
receive communications from God. To deny this would be to 
deny the whole system of revealed religion. But if men can 
receive revelations from God to communicate to their fellow 
men, will it not necessarily follow, that they are susceptible 
of Divine impressions respecting themselves ? 

2. That on our part this knowledge is most desirable. 
There is a disposition in the human mind to desire certainty 
in all the important pursuits of liife. In the acquisition of 
real estate, how carefully do men examine the tenure by 
which it is held ? In pursuing philosophical investigations 
they demand proof at every step. In examining different 
theories of religion, their faith rests upon evidence alone, or 
on what they take to be evidence. Uncertainty respecting 
any question in which we are deeply interested is always 
painful ; and the pain endured will correspond to the degree 
of interest which we believe to be involved. If these prin- 
ciples be admitted, it will necessarily follow, that those who 



SALVATION MADE KNOWN BY THE SPIRIT. 315- 

are made to feel the pangs of penitential sorrow will desire, 
above everything else, to know that they have " peace with 
God through our Lord Jesus Christ." 

This is in perfect agreement with the experience of those 
who are sincerely asking what they must do to be saved. 
They desire not only to be saved, but to know that they are 
saved. It was this desire which led David, in the hour of 
his penitence to pray, " Make me to hear joy and gladness ; 
that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice." (Psa. 
51 : 8.) So, a consciousness of pardon and peace with God 
was the supreme want of the publican, when he offered that 
earnest and humble petition, " God be merciful to me a sin- 
ner." (Luke 18 : 13.) The experience of many an anxious 
penitent is expressed by the poet : 

" Who can resolve the doubt 

That tears my anxious breast ? 
Shall I be with the damned cast out, 

Or numbered with the blest? " 

3. This knowledge is to be expected by the people of God, 
jrom His relation to them as a Father. It would be incom- 
patible with the character and feellings of an earthly father 
to conceal from his children that parental affection, by which 
he is bound to his own offspring. To do so, would be to do 
violence to his own nature, to withhold from them what is 
essential to their happiness, and to dwarf the growth of that 
filial affection, which alone can secure due reverence and will- 
ing obedience. It is therefore to be expected, that he who 



316 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

worthily sustains the relation of father, will take pleasure in 
affording his children such manifestations of his parental 
affection, as will convince them that they are objects of his 
most tender regard. 

Now, can we suppose that our heavenly Father is less 
inclined to manifest His love to His children than human 
parents are ? To do this would be to contradict the teaching 
of the Bible. David declares that God " will withhold no 
good thing from them that walk uprightly." (Psa. 84 : 11.) 
And our Lord said to the people, " If ye then, being evil, 
know how to give good gifts unto your children ; how much 
more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to 
them that ask Him." (Luke 11 : 13.) We have a right to 
believe, therefore, from this Scriptural view of the father- 
hood of God, that He will impart to every true Christian a 
knowledge of His approbation. 

4. That the knowledge for which we contend is implied in 
the nature of true conversion. We need not stop to prove that 
the human soul is conscious of every important change of 
which it is the subject. This fact, as it is realized in every 
man's experience, will be admitted by all. If, then, by a law 
of our nature, we are conscious of every change which takes 
place in our mental feelings, as from fear to hope, from sor- 
row to joy, or from hatred to love ; how can we be the sub- 
jects of that wonderful change which makes us new creatures 
in Christ Jesus, and not be conscious of it ? This, in the 
nature of things, is impossible. As well may we suppose 



SALVATION MADE KNOWN BY THE SPIRIT. 317 

that one with perfect vision might pass from midnight dark- 
ness into the light of noon-day, without being sensible of the 
change ; that, when David's feet were placed upon the rock 
of deliverance, and the song of praise was in his month, he 
did not know that had he been taken out of the horrible pit ; 
or that, when the man who had been possessed of a legion of 
devils was sitting at the feet of Jesns, clothed, and in his 
right mind, knew not but that he was still under the power 
of infernal agency, and dwelling among the tombs. 

5. That the Scriptures prove this knowledge to be obtain- 
able. They bear testimony upon this subject both doctrin- 
ally, and by example. We notice, 

1.) Their doctrinal testimony. Our Lord teaches us that 
a practical reception of the Gospel carries with it a demon- 
stration of its Divine authorship. " If any man do His will 
he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or 
whether I speak of myself." (John 7 : 17.) In the parable 
of the shepherd and his flock it is asserted, that " the sheep 
follow him ; for they know his voice." Our Lord, in apply- 
ing this parable to Himself, says, " I am the good Shepherd, 
and know my sheep, and am known of mine." (John 10 : 
14.) Again, in speaking of sending the Comforter to His 
disciples, He said, " At that day ye shall know that I am iu 
my Father, and you in me, and I in you." (John 14 : 20.) 
But St. John covers the whole ground, by the announcement 
of this general principle : " He that belie veth on the Son of 
God hath the witness in himself." (I. John 5 : 10.) 



318 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

The same doctrine is implied in the apostolic injunction, 
'" Examine yourselves whether ye be in the faith ; prove your 
ownselves." (II. Cor. 13:5.) Here let it be observed, that 
the Corinthians were required to examine themselves with a 
definite object in view, namely, to know whether they were 
" in the faith ; " and on this question they were commanded 
to prove themselves. But if it be impossible for Christians 
to know that they are in the faith, why are they commanded 
to make the examination? As well nrght they be com- 
manded to examine the moon, to know whether it is, or is not 
inhabited by intelligent creatures. Consistency, therefore, 
requires us to believe, that it is the privilege of Christians to 
gain a satisfactory evidence of the Divine approval. But 
this doctrine is supported, 

2.) By Scripture examples. Of Enoch it is written, that 
" before his translation, he had this testimony, that he pleased 
God." (Heb. 11 : 5.) We know not how this blessed truth 
was made known to him ; but the fact is unequivocally 
declared. Job said, " I know that my Eedeemer liveth, and 
that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth : and 
though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my 
flesh shall I see God." (Job 19 : 25.) David declares, "I 
sought the Lord and He heard me, and delivered me from 
all my fears." (Psa. 34 : 4.) Again he says, " I will praise 
Thee ; for Thou has heard me, and art become my salvation." 
(Psa. 118 : 21.) "We know," says St. Paul, "that if our 
earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a 



SALVATION MADE KNOWN BY THE SPIRIT. 319 

building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the 
heavens." (II. Cor. 5:1.) St. John asserts, "We know 
that we have passed from death unto life." (I. John 3 : 14.) 
Surely no one can examine the testimony of these holy men, 
as thus recorded in the sacred volume, without believing that 
they were assured of God's approval. 

6. This doctrine is taught in the formulas of leading evan- 
gelical Churches. It is patent to all, that Methodism, in all 
its branches, proclaims it to be the privilege of those who are 
born of the Spirit, to know that they are "reconciled to God." 
The Church of England, in her homily on Salvation, 
teaches that " the right and true Christian faith is a sure 
trust and confidence which a man hath in God, that by the 
merits of Christ his sins are forgiven, and he reconciled to 
the favor of God." 

The Westminster Confession of Faith, which is the stand- 
ard of doctrine in nearly all Presbyterian Churches, both in 
Europe and America, is very clear on this subject. From it 
we quote the following passage. " Such as truly believe in 
the Lord Jesus, and love Him in sincerity, endeavoring to 
walk in all good conscience before Him, may in his life 
be certainly assured that they are in a state of grace, 
and may rejoice in hope of the glory of God." Chap. 
18, Sec. 1. The same doctrine is taught in the answer 
to the 36th question of the Shorter Catechism, thus : " The 
benefits which in this life do accompany or flow from justifi- 



oZiJ GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

cation, adoption, and sanetification are, assurance of God's 
love, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Ghost, increase of 
grace, and perseverance to the end." 

Now, if we run over the foregoing arguments, considering 
them both individually and in their combined force, we can 
hardly fail to see that our proposition is fully sustained — that 
salvation in Christ is a knowable fact. We Avill proceed to 
prove, 

II. That a knowledge of this salvation is de- 
rived FROM THE OPERATIONS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. 

" We know that He abideth in us, by the Spirit which He 
hath given us." In the economy of human redemption God 
has revealed Himself to the world, as existing in a Trinity of 
Persons ; Father, Son, and Holy Ghost ; and it is indicated, 
moreover, that each Person in the adorable Trinity sustains 
a distinctive relation to the redeeming plan. The Father is 
regarded as its Source and Projector ; the Son, as its Prophet, 
Priest, and King ; and the Holy Ghost, as the efficient Agent, 
by whom its saving benefits are applied to man. Hence it 
follows, that the Gospel dispensation is appropriately called 
the dispensation of the Spirit. 

The Holy Spirit, in effecting our personal salvation, 
operates in a variety of ways, in all of which, however, we 
may trace the foot-prints of Deity ; but we must confine our 
remarks to those operations of the Spirit which are evidential 
of a state of grace. This will lead us to notice, 



SALVATION MADE KNOWN BY THE SPIKIT. 321 

1. The testimony of the Holy Spirit , in regard to our 
adoption into the family of God. This operation of the Spirit 
is always preceded by what is called regeneration. What r 
then, is regeneration ? We understand it to be the transition 
of a sinner from a state of spiritual death to a state of spirit- 
ual life, by the agency of the Holy Ghost. It does not con- 
sist in a single Divine act, but in a progressive Divine work; 
having its inception, usually in a degree of mental illumina- 
tion and moral quickening, and manifesting itself in evangel- 
ical repentance and reformation of life. When Saul of 
Tarsus was sent to preach the Gospel to the Jews and the 
Gentiles, it was " To open their eyes, and to turn them from 
darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God. ?? 
(Acts 26 : 18.) 

Though repentance is closely associated with regeneration, 
the penitent must not regard it as an evidence that he is born 
again ; nor is he to conclude that it must necessarily culmin- 
ate in that change. From the parable of the sower we learn,, 
that the seed which " fell upon stony places " germinated 
and sprung up as really as did that which " fell into good 
ground ; " but in the time of trial it " withered away." The 
same religious truth may be deduced from the case of the 
young man who came to our Lord, saying, " Good Master, 
what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life ? " The cir- 
cumstances show that he was truly penitent, and honestly 
seeking salvation. His moral character was unimpeachable ; 



322 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

but he felt that something more than mere morality was nec- 
essary to qualify him for eternal life. Therefore, in earnest- 
ness and deep humility, at the feet of the great Teacher, he 
prays for light. " Jesus beholding him, loved him ; " but 
when he propounded to this interesting penitent the terms on 
which he might inherit eternal life, he was dissatisfied, " and 
went away sorrowful." 

There is a point of time in the experience of every true 
and persevering penitent, in which he becomes actually and 
really a child of God. What all the facts are which meet 
and concur in constituting our spiritual nativity, we may 
never be able to fully ascertain ; but we venture to assert, 
that at least two things are essential to this filial relation ; to 
be born again, and to be justified. These changes are always 
synchronical in the same subject ; for he who is born of the 
Spirit is also justified ; and, conversely, he who is justified 
is also born of the Spirit. St. John, in speaking of our Lord 
as the Word, says, " As many as received Him, to them gave 
He power to become the sons of God, even to them that 
believe on His name : which were born, not of blood, nor of 
the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man ; but of God." 
(John 1 : 12, 13.) We see, therefore, that an unconverted 
sinner, in order to become a child of God, must pass through 
the preparatory process of receiving Christ and believing on 
Him. This process is not the new birth, but is preliminary 
to it ; being included in that progressive work of regenera- 



SALVATION MADE KNOWN BY THE SPIRIT. 323 

tion, which has its culmination in the new birth ; when, by 
the power of God, the soul is " created in Christ Jesus unto 
good works. " (Eph. 2 : 10.) 

The reader may think, perhaps, that the last three para- 
graphs are somewhat digressive ; but we regard them as being 
necessary to a clear understanding of the main subject. And 
now, coming to the case of one who is born of the Spirit, w T e 
ask, how does he know that he is born of God ? We answer, 
he knows it by the direct testimony of the Holy Ghost. We 
admit, that previous to the realization of this direct testimony 
of the Spirit he may be conscious of a change in his moral 
condition, and may rationally conclude that he is a subject of 
gracious influences ; but he can have no assurance of the 
Divine favor, except by the testimony of the Spirit of 
adoption. St. Paul says, " Ye have not received the spirit 
of bondage again to fear ; but ye have received the Spirit of 
adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself 
beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God." 
(I. Cor. 2 : 15, 16.) Again he says, " When the fulness of 
the time was come, God^sent forth His Son, made of a woman, 
made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, 
that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because 
ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into 
your hearts, crying, Abba, Father." (Gal. 4 : 4-6.) 

The testimony of the Spirit to our adoption is spoken of as 
a seal. Thus St. Paul says, " God hath sealed us, and given 
the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts." And again he says, 



324 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

" In whom also, after that ye believed, ye were sealed with 
that Holy Spirit of promise." (Eph. 1:13.) That this is 
to be understood of the Spirit of God, is evident from another 
passage by the same writer : " Grieve not the Holy Spirit of 
God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption." 
(Eph. 4 : 30.) 

The bestowment of the Holy Spirit as a witness to our 
adoption is a most benevolent feature in the economy of grace. 
The work of regeneration is, to some extent, a matter of 
conscious experience ; but not so the grant of pardon. This 
is a gracious act of God, of which the pardoned sinner can 
have no knowledge, until God sees proper to make it known 
to him. To illustrate this fact the apostle says, " What man 
knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which 
is in him ? even so, the things of God knoweth no man, but 
the Spirit of God." Hence he declares, " We have received, 
not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God ; 
that we might know the things that are freely given to us of 
God." (I. Cor. 2:11, 12.) St. John pursues the same line 
of thought, when he says, " Hereby know we that we dwell 
in Him, and He in us, because He hath given us of His 
Spirit." (I. John 4 : 13.) 

To say, as some do, that a knowledge of pardon by the 
testimony of the Spirit is restricted to a favored few, is to 
make a declaration which cannot be sustained by the Scrip- 
tures. On the other hand, they evidently teach the doctrine, 
that it is the common privilege of all who are born of Gcd. 



SALVATION MADE KNOWN BY THE SPIRIT. 325 

St. Paul said to the Galatians, " Because ye are sons, God 
hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, 
Abba, Father/ 7 and if the Spirit of the Son, which is the 
Spirit of adoption, was given to them because they were sons, 
the same principle of administration will make it the privilege 
of all who become the sons of God. 

There is another passage of Scripture which strongly 
represents this gift of the Spirit as a common element of 
Christian experience. Peter, on a certain occasion, after 
speaking of the death of our Lord, His exaltation to be a 
Prince and a Saviour, and His giving repentance and remis- 
sion of sins, added ; " And we are His witnesses of these 
things ; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God giveth to 
them that obey Him." (Acts 5 : 32.) We will proceed to 
consider, 

2. The renovating and sanctifying work of the Holy 
Spirit, as realized in Christian experience. This involves 
what is called " the witness of our own spirit." When St. 
Paul says, " The Spirit itself beareth witness with our 
spirit, that we are the children of God," he evidently speaks 
of two witnesses ; the Spirit of God, and our own spirit. 
These, he affirms, both bear witness to the same fact; 
namely, " that we are the children of God. 7 ' 

What, then, do we understand by the witness of our own 
spirit ? We answer, it is the testimony of our rational and 
moral nature, in support of the proposition, " that we are the 
children of God. 77 The ground of this testimony lies in two 



326 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

facts : First, By a law of our nature the mind is conscious 
of all its own actions, states, changes, and conditions. 
Secondly, God has denned, in His inspired word, the 
operations of the Holy Spirit in the work of our salvation. 
Now, as the Bible reveals the nature of true conversion, with 
the experience which goes before it, and that which follows 
it; if our consciousness corresponds with this inspired 
description, our reason tells us that we are the subjects of 
converting grace. This testimony of our own spirit applies 
both to the process of our conversion, and to our subsequent 
spiritual condition and relation to God. 

1.) It aids us in determining the genuineness of our con- 
version. If, in regard to this question, we honestly compare 
our experience with the teachings of the Bible, we shall be in 
no danger of being deceived or led astray. St. Paul says, 
" If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature ; old things 
are passed away, behold, all things are become new." (II. 
Cor. 5 : 17.) The latter clause of this passage is exegetical 
of the former. It shows that a converted man is " a new 
creature/' not by any physical change in his person, but by a 
change in his moral character. " Old things pass away/' and 
" all things become new." This, we admit, is strong lan- 
guage ; but it is a true and lively expression of the views and 
feelings " of a soul in its earliest love." 

The pardoned sinner knows well that he was once far from 
God, and without hope ; that he was dead in trespasses and 
sins ; and that he lived regardless of God's law, and was on 



SALVATION MADE KNOWN BY THE SPIRIT. 327 

the broad way to eternal destruction. But these and 
kindred evils have passed away, and he feels that he is now 
a new man, " created in Christ Jesus unto good works." 
His views of God, of the Redeemer, of religion, of himself 7 
of the world, and of the future state, are all new. Indeed, 
no thought is more common to the new convert than that 
" all things are become new." The Bible, though he may 
have read it before, is to him a new book ; its doctrines, its 
promises, and its threatenings are all regarded in a new light ; 
even the very atmosphere which he inhales seems to have 
added to it a new and exhilerating element ; all nature 
appears to be clothed in a new dress ; and in the countenance 
of his friends he sees a glow of love and beauty, which he 
never saw before. 

When the Holy Spirit conveys to the mind of the rjenitent 
the welcome message of pardon, the evidence is usually so 
clear and convincing, and the abounding joy so transport] ng 7 
that a rational investigation of his gracious change is hardly 
thought of. He is borne along on the flood-tide of rapturous 
enjoyment, thinking of little else than praise to his Almighty 
and gracious Deliverer. The language of his heart is in 
perfect harmony with that of the Psalmist : " Bless the 
Lord, O my soul ; and all that is within me, bless His holy 
name." (Psa. 103 : 1.) Or, he sings with the poet : 

" My God is reconciled ; 

His pardoning voice I hear : 
He owns me for His child ; 
I can no longer fear : 

With confidence I now draw nigh 7 
And 'Father, Abba, Father,' cry.'" 



328 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

It is not uncommon for the new convert, while rejoicing 
in a consciousness of pardon, to conclude that his troubles 
are all past, and that he shall learn war no more. He sees 
not, for the time being, why his joyous experience may uot 
be perpetuated through life. We will not deny the possibil- 
ity of a Christian's uninterrupted enjoyment, for " with God 
all things are possible ; " but we do not believe that this is 
His common method of dealing with His children. His 
gracious work in them is not finished, when they are born 
again and adopted into His family. They are required to 
*"grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and 
Saviour Jesus Christ." (II. Peter 3:18.) Little children 
are to become young men, and young men, fathers. The 
Scriptures are declared to be "profitable for doctrine, for 
reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness ; that 
the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto 
all good works." (II. Tim. 3 : 16, 17.) 

This process implies moral discipline and trial ; and, of 
course, the bearing of the cross, and the endurance of hard- 
ness as good soldiers of Jesus Christ. However, ecstatic, 
therefore, may be the joy of those who are born of the 
Spirit, and however long it may continue, there usually 
comes an hour, and perhaps it comes to all, when the tide of 
religious feeling shall have passed away ; and when they 
shall find it necessary to take a rational survey of the ground 
which they occupy, and learn to walk by faith, and not by 
sight. Happy for all, the Christian's pathway is so plainly 



SALVATION MADE KNOWN BY THE SPIEIT. 329 

marked out by the pen of inspiration, that no one need be at 
a loss to ascertain his religious status. This leads us to 
remark, 

2.) That our own spirit bears witness to our spiritual con- 
dition and relation to God. By this we simply mean, that 
our own reason and conscience unite in testifying, that there 
is an agreement between our religious consciousness and the 
requirements of God's word. St. Paul, in his epistle to the 
Galatians, gives us a catalogue of Christian graces, which he 
declares to be " the fruits of the Spirit." They are " love, 
joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith," or 
fidelity, " meekness, temperance," These virtues belong, in 
some degree, to every one who is born of the Spirit ; and he 
who is conscious of possessing them, has a rational proof 
that he is born of God. 

But we may confine ourselves, in this self-examination, to 
the single fact of love toward God) without which no one 
•can be a true Christian. This love, we are taught, has its 
cause in the manifestation of God's love to us. St. Paul 
says, " The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts, by the 
Holy Ghost which is given unto us." (Rom. 5 : 5.) And 
•St. John asserts that " We love Him because He first loved 
us." (I. John 4 : 19.) Now, if a manifestation of the love 
of God toward us is the cause of our love toward Him, as 
these Scriptures prove ; and we are conscious that we love 
God, we have evidence that we are objects of His approval. 

But some may ask, how are we to know that our love toward 
God is such as He will accept ? We answer, this is to be 



330 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

determined by the influence which it exerts upon our moral 
conduct. Jesus says, " He that hath my commandments, 
and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me." (John 14 : 21.) 
St. John teaches the same doctrine, when he says, " This is 
the love of God, that we keep His commandments." (I. John 
5 : 3.) Hence it follows, that he who is conscious of making; 
the Avord of God the rule of his life, has satisfactory proof, in 
his own experience, that his love toward God is genuine. 

In the testimony of our own spirit respecting our moral 
condition, conscience perforins an important office ; for it 
places the stamp of right or wrong upon every moral act of 
which we are conscious. We do not claim that its decisions 
are infallible ; but it is a most faithful monitor, according to- 
the light by which it is governed. When it is enlightened 
by the word of God and the work of the Spirit, its voice,, 
therefore, should never be disregarded. St. Paul said, 
" Herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience 
void of offence toward God, and toward men." (Acts 24 : 16.) 
And again, "Our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our con- 
science, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly 
wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conver- 
sation in the world." (II. Cor. 1 : 12.) St. John speaks of 
the conscience under the term heart, and says, " If our heart 
condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all 
things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we 
confidence toward God." (I. John 3 : 21, 22.) 



SALVATION MADE KNOWN BY THE SPIRIT. 331 

We believe, that in every condition in which the Christian 
can be placed, he may derive consolation from a careful com- 
parison of his experience with the teachings of the Bible. If 
he is walking in the sud light of the Divine approval, he 
thinks of the apostle's declaration, that "the kingdom of God 
is not meat and drink ; but righteousness, and peace, and joy 
in the Holy Ghost." (Rom. 14 : 17.) If clouds and dark- 
ness gather around him, and the light of God's countenance 
is withdrawn, he hearkens to the message of the evangelical 
prophet, saying, "Who is among you that fear the Lord, that 
obeyeth the voice of His servant, that walketh in darkness, 
and hath no light ? Let him trust in the name of the Lord, 
and stay upon his God." (Isa. 50 : 10.) If disappointments, 
bereavements, and sore afflictions overtake him, he reads that 
" whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every 
son whom He receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God 
dealeth with you as with sons ; for what son is he whom the 
father chasteneth not ? " (Heb. 12:6, 7.) If he is the sub- 
ject of violent temptation, he is taught that Jesus Christ 
" was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin ; " 
(Heb. 4:15.) and that God will not suffer any of His people 
to be tempted beyond what he is able to bear. 

Religious feelings and frames of mind are not under the 
direct control of our volition; nor are they, in themselves, 
declarative of our moral condition in the sight of God. Men 
may, by attendant circumstances, be very differently affected 
at different periods of time ; while their relation to God, as 



332 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

His accepted servants, may remain unchanged. The distin- 
guished man of Uz, in his patriarchal dignity, abounding in 
wealth, and surrounded by his children and friends, must 
have been a truly happy man ; for in addition to his being 
" a perfect and upright man/' his temporal circumstances were 
most felicitous. But when he was smitten by disease, sitting 
among the ashes, and deploring his sad condition, he was still 
an object of the Divine approval; for "in all this did not 
Job sin with his lips." 

We will close the discussion of this subject with two 
remarks: 

First The suffering of evil in this life cannot prevent the 
enjoyment of spiritual good. Jesus says, " Blessed are ye, 
when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say 
all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Bejoice, 
.and be exceeding glad ; for great is your reward in heaven." 
(Matt. 5 : 11, 12.) In agreement with this is the exhortation 
of St. James. " My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall 
into divers temptations ; knowing this, that the trying of 
your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her 
jperfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting 
nothing." (James 1 : 2-4.) 

Secondly, The sufferings which God's people are called to 
endure in this life, will redound to the enlargement of their 
future reward. St. Paul testifies, that " our light affliction, 
which is but for a movement, worketh for us a far more 
exceeding and eternal weight of glory ; while we look not at 



SALVATION MADE KNOWN BY THE SPIRIT. 333 

the things which are seen, but at the things which are not 
seen ; for the things which are seen are temporal ; but the 
things which are not seen are eternal." (II. Cor. 4 : 17, 18.) 
Then, with our eye fixed on eternal realities, let us " run 
with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus 
the author and finisher of our faith ; Who, for the joy that 
was set before Hirn endured the cross, despising the shame, 
and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." 
(Heb. 12:1, 2.) 

" Through tribulations deep 

The way to glory is ; 
This stormy course I keep, 
On these tempestuous seas : 
By winds and waves I'm tossed and driven ; 
Freighted with grace, and bound for heaven." 



Trust in God. 



" Trust ye in the Lord for ever ; for in the Lord Jehovah is 
everlasting strength." [Isaiah 2 : 4.) 

There is not, we believe, upon the face of the earth, a single 
tribe or nation of men, who have not some religious theory, 
and some mode of religious worship. This fact is so patent, 
that it has been regarded as a distinguishing characteristic in 
defining man ; who has therefore been called, " A religious 
aniroal." 

Some suppose, that this trait of our character is the result 
of traditional instruction, handed down through successive 
generations, from the original pair. This, to some extent, 
may be true ; but we believe it to be far more probable, that 
this universal character of our race has its foundation in 
a feeling of dependence on some superior power, of which 
every man is conscious. We soon learn by experience, that 
we are subject to numerous wants, which cannot be supplied 
from our own resources ; aud that we must look to some 
extrinsic object for the help which we find not at home. 

May not this feeling of dependence, when left to its own 
promptings, have led the way to heathen idolatry ? Men 
will worship some object ; and if they know not the living 
and true God, they will pay that homage to the creature, 

334 



TRUST IN GOD. 335 

which belongs alone to the Creator. " But blessed are your 
eyes, for they see ; and your ears, for they hear." Our 
heavenly Father, in infinite benevolence, has revealed Him- 
self to us, in all the loveliness of His character, declaring 
Himself to be the only proper object of spiritual worship, 
and the only sure foundation of human trust. Hence we are 
addressed in the language of the prophet ; " Trust ye in the 
Lord for ever ; for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting 
•strength." 

The text calls our attention to the virtue of trusting in God 
— a theme worthy of our careful and prayerful consideration. 
We will notice, First, Its nature and properties ; and, 
■Second, The ground on which it rests. 

I. Its nature and properties. Trust in God, as to 
its nature, consists in a confident and peaceful expectation 
that he will deal with us, both in time and in eternity, in 
accordance with His infinite perfections and the teachings of 
His word. It therefore implies faith in the existence of God, 
and in the revelation which He has made to the world, 
respecting His character and will. Indeed, trust and faith 
are so nearly of the same import, that they are used, in the 
New Testament, as convertible terms. St. Paul says, " That 
we should be to the praise of His glory, who first trusted in 
Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the 
word of truth, the Gospel of your salvation in whom also, 
after that ye believed, (or trusted}) ye were sealed with that 
Holy Spirit of promise." (Eph. 1:12, 13.) 



336 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

In regard to the essential properties of a Scriptural trust 
in God, we remark, 

1. That it should be trust in God alone. "Trust ye in 
the Lord." The Psalmist says, " Some trust in chariots, and 
some in horses ; but we will remember the name of the Lord 
our God.' 7 (Psa. 20 : 7.) God claims the trust or confidence of 
His people, and will not share this honor with any other 
object of dependence. He says, " I am the Lord ; that is my 
name : and my glory I will not give to another, neither my 
praise to graven images." (Isa. 42 : 8.) There is a tendency 
in our nature to lean inordinately on some earthly object for 
comfort. Hence we see the necessity of the apostle's exhor- 
tation, " Little children, keep yourselves from idols." 
(I. John 5 : 21.) Idolatry does not consist alone in the 
formal worship of idol gods. They who depend upon any 
object other than the living God, either wholly or in part, as 
the source of their chief good, are justly chargeable with this 
sin : they are trusting in the " staff of a bruised reed, 
whereon if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce 
it." (Isa. 26 : 6.) It follows, therefore, that the Scriptural 
idea of trust in God, is trust in Him alone. The Psalmist, 
after showing the folly of trusting in idols, uses the following 
impressive exhortation : " O Israel, trust thou in the Lord ; 
He is their help and their shield. O house Aaron, trust in 
the Lord ; He is their help and their shield. Ye that fear 
the Lord, trust in the Lord; He is their help and their 



TRUST IX GOD. 337 

shield." (P.sa. 115:9-11.) Solomon says, "Trust in the 
Lord with all thine heart ; and lean not to thine own under- 
standing." 

2. Our trust in God should be continuous, or uninterrupted. 
" Trust ye in the Lord /or ever." As our probationary state 
is coextensive in time with our rational existence on earth, 
whatever piety requires at any one time in our history, it 
requires at all times. If, therefore, we would obtain the 
crown of life, we must be faithful until death. To trust in 
God to-day, and yield to doubts and fears to-morrow, is not 
the kind of trust in God which was so gloriously exemplified 
in the life of the ancient worthies. David said, in speaking of 
himself, " I am like a green olive-tree in the house of God : I 
trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever." (Psa. 52 : 8.) 
Again, he gives utterance to this general exhortation ; 
" Trust in Him at all times, ye people ; pour out your heart 
before Him. " (Psa. 62 : 8.) And in characterizing a good 
man he says, " He shall not be afraid of evil tidings ; his 
heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord." (Psa. 112 : 7.) 

A continuous trust in God implies trust in Him under all 
circumstances. It is comparatively easy to trust in God, 
when we are surrounded by kind and faithful friends, enjoy- 
ing health and prosperity, and having reason to believe that 
we are beyond the reach of want. The mariner whose ship 
is plowing a tranquil sea, beneath a smiling sky, and pro- 
pelled by a gentle wind, is not in circumstances to give full 
proof of his nautical skill. It is only when he is overtaken 

22 



338 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

by the merciless hurricane; when he witnesses the torrents of 
rain, the lightning's blinding flash, and the thunder's deafen- 
ing roar ; and when the billowy deep is agitated to " a foam- 
ing fury," that superior abilities are shown to the greatest 
advantage. 

The Bible tells us, most explicitly that the life of the 
Christian is one of hope, of peace, of sunshine, of joy and 
rejoicing ; but it as clearly tells us, that it is a life of warfare, 
of cross-bearing, and of trial and suffering. Jesus said to 
his disciples, " In the world ye shall have tribulation." 
(John 16 : 33.) Barnabas and Paul, in "confirming the souls 
of the disciples," taught the doctrine, that "we must through 
much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God." (Acts 
14 : 22.) In order, therefore, to "lay hold on eternal life," 
we must "fight the good fight of faith." (I. Tim. 6 : 12.) 
Nor should we think that even our severest trials and suffer- 
ings are indications of the Divine displeasure, or unfavorable 
to our spiritual interests ; for God, in His wise and gracious 
Providence, so overrules them all, as to make them subser- 
viant to our good. It is written, " whom the Lord loveth 
He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth. 
Now, no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but 
grievous ; nevertheless, afterward it yieldeth the peaceable 
fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby." 
(Heb. 12:6, 11.) 

Since then our cup is a mixed one during our stay on 
earth, it becomes our duty to meet the common ills of life in 
trustful submission to the will of Him who doeth all things 



TEUST IN GOD. 339 

well. " Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall 
we not receive evil ? " (Job 2 : 10.) The bereavements and 
sufferings of the man of Uz were extreme ; but such was his 
confidence in God that he could say, " Though He slay me, 
yet will I trust in Hini." (Job 13 : 15.) 

3. We should t?*ust in God for all things. The Scriptures 
warrant us in trusting Him for the supply of all our wants, 
temporal, spiritual, and eternal ; for the wise and gracious 
ordering of ail our concerns ; for preservation from all harm ; 
and for guidance through life, hope and triumph in death, 
and eternal felicity in the world to come. 

Few evils are more common among men, than the dread of 
want, or a painful anxiety in regard to their temporal suste- 
nance ; nor is this evil confined exclusively to the poor and 
helpless : it is experienced by many who are in comparatively 
easy circumstances. This mental plague has its cause in the 
want of that trust in God which true piety requires, and which 
is so clearly enjoined in the Holy Scriptures. He therefore 
whose life is in conformity with the word, will dismiss from 
his mind all painful doubtings in regard to the/uture. David 
says, "Trust in the Lord and do good ; so shalt thou dwell 
in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed." Again, " I have 
been young, and now am old, yet have I not seen the right- 
eous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread." (Psa. 37 : 3, 25.) 
Our Lord, in His sermon on the Mount, uses this language : 
" Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what 
ye shall drink ; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on." 



340 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

(Matt. 6 : 25.) " But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and 
His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto 
you." (Matt. 6 : 33.) 

Nor should we fail to trust in God, even when standing 
face to face with pinching poverty, or ghastly want. He 
who supplied the wants of His people in " a waste howling 
wilderness ; " who employed the ravens to carry food to His 
prophet ; and who caused the widow's handful of meal and 
cruse of oil to sustain herself and family for many days, 
without diminution, is able also to provide for the necessities 
of all who trust in Him, under all possible circumstances. 
"The eye of the Lord is upon them that fear Him, upon them 
that hope in His mercy ; to deliver their soul from death and 
to keep them alive in famine." (Psa. 33 : 19.) How im- 
pressive is the language of the prophet Habakkuk, in relation 
to his confidence in the Providence of God ! " Although the 
fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vine ; 
the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no 
meat ; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall 
be no herd in the stalls, yet will I rejoice in the Lord, I will 
joy in the God of my salvation." (Hab. 3 : 17, 18.) 

It will be proper, in this connection, to make one other 
remark, which is this: God has promised to either save His 
people from the common calamities which befall men, or to 
afford them special help to endure them. It is, therefoie, 
right to trust in God to " deliver us from evil." The Psalm- 
ist, in speaking of the special Providence of God toward the 



TRUST IN GOD. 341 

upright man, presents the doctrine in a strong and encourag- 
ing light. He says, " Surely He shall deliver thee from the 
snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He 
shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings 
shalt thou trust. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by 
night, nor for the arrow that flieth by day, nor for the 
pestilence that walketh in darkness, nor for the destruction 
that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, 
and ten thousand at thy right hand ; but it shall not come 
nigh thee. There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall 
any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For He shall give His 
angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways." (Psa. 
91 :3-ll.) Equally encouraging is the message which God 
sent to His ancient people by His inspired prophet : " Thus 
saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and He that 
formed thee, O Israel ; fear not, for I have redeemed thee ; I 
have called thee by thy name ; thou art mine. When thou 
passest through the waters, I will be with thee ; and through 
the rivers, they shall not overflow thee. When thou walkest 
through the fire thou shalt not be burnt ; neither shall the 
flame kindle upon thee. For I am the Lord, thy God, the 
Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour." (Isa. 43 : 1-3.) 

4. Our trust in God should be practical. It is not to be 
forgotten that we are moral agents; and that God, in His 
Providence, has suspended much of the good which He has 
promised to man on the proper exercise of this agency. So 
far, therefore, as any promised good, is thus conditioned, we 



342 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

have no right to trust in God for its bestowment, unless we 
comply with the expressed or implied condition. Thus God, 
by His prophet, said to the Jews, " If ye be willing and 
obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land." (Isa. 1 :19.) 
It is true, God, in His infinite benevolence, bestows upon 
men, unconditionally and irrespective of their moral charac- 
ter, innumerable blessings. He " is good to all, and His ten- 
der mercies are over all His works." (Psa. 145 : 9.) " He 
inaketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and send- 
eth rain on the just and on the unjust." (Matt. 5 : 45.) But 
they who would trust in God for pardon and eternal life, 
must yield practical obedience to the gospel terms of salva- 
tion. The farmer who prepares his ground in a proper man- 
ner, and sows his seed in due season, may consistently trust 
God for a plentiful harvest ; but if his neighbor, who 
neither plows nor sows, were to exercise the same trust in 
Divine Providence, who does not see, that it would end in a 
sad disappointment ? Even so, for men to trust in God for 
a home in heaven, while they are walking in the broad way 
which leads to destruction, is a soul-damning delusion, in- 
stead of a Scriptural trust. How important is the apostolic 
warning ! " Be not deceived ; God is not mocked ; for what- 
soever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." (Gal. 6:7.) 

II. The ground on which our trust in God is 
based: " In the Lord JEHOVAH is everlasting strength ; " 
or, as Lowth translated it, " In Jehovah is never-failing 
protection." This clause of the text involves the doctrine, 



TRUST IX GOD. 343 

that our trust in God rests upon His own glorious character ; 
or, in other words, that the revelation which He has made of 
Himself justifies His people in believing that He will both 
supply their necessary wants, and protect them from evil. 
The prophet speaks only of His almighty power ; but as He 
who possesses one infinite attribute must be infinite in all His 
perfections, His whole character is, therefore, implied in the 
language of the prophet. God's people may safely trust in 
Him, because 

1. He is omnipotent. -" In the Lord Jehovah is ever- 
lasting strength." The omnipotence of God is His unlimited 
power to do whatever is consistent with His other perfec- 
tions. Of this attribute we have ample proof in the works 
of creation. To create, from nothing, a single material ob- 
ject, however minute, is the work of an almighty hand ; but 
God, " in the beginning," thus " created the heavens and the 
earth." (Gen. 1:1.) "He spake, and it was done; He 
commanded, and it stood fast." (Psa. 33 : 9.) But the 
proof becomes still more impressive when we consider, that 
the phrase, " the heavens and the earth," means not only our 
globe with its immediate surroundings, but the entire uni- 
verse ; for " He made the stars also." He, therefore, who 
can bring into existence, from nothing, such an immense 
system of worlds as is unfolded to our view by astronomy, 
must be possessed of almighty power. 

The same lesson is taught in that perfect control of ma- 
terial things which the sacred Scriptures ascribe to God. 



344 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

Job says of him, that " He commandeth the sun, and it riseth 
not, and sealeth up the stars ; " that He " alone spreadeth out 
the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea ; " that 
He " maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the cham- 
bers of the south ; " and that He " doeth great things past 
finding out, yea, and wonders without number." (Job 9 : 7 
-10.) Moreover, " He stretcheth out the north over the 
empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing. He bind- 
eth up the waters in His thick clouds ; and the cloud is not 
rent under them. He hath compassed the waters with bounds, 
until the day and night come to an end. Lo, these are parts 
of His ways ; but how little a portion is heard of Him ; but 
the thunder of His power who can understand ? " (Job 
26 : 7, 10, 14.) This, then, is the God in whom we are ex- 
horted to trust : 

" The God that rules on high, 

That all the earth surveys, 
That rides upon the stormy sky, 

And calms the roaring seas." . 

2. He is omniscient. This doctrine is clearly taught in 
the Bible. The Psalmist says, " O, Lord, thou hast searched 
me, and known me. Thou knowest my clownsitting, and 
mine uprising. Thou understandest my thoughts afar off. 
Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art ac- 
quainted with all my ways. If I say, surely the darkness 
shall cover me, even the night shall be light about me. Yea, 
the darkness hideth not from Thee ; but the night shineth as 
Jie day, the darkness and light are both alike to Thee." 



TRUST IN GOD. 345 

(Psa. 139:1-3.) And, therefore, " His understanding is 
infinite" He has a perfect knowledge of our condition, what- 
ever it may be ; and is thus able to supply all our numerous 
wants, because He knows them all. 

3. He is omnipresent. There is no part of the vast uni- 
verse, no portion of space, in which God is not essentially 
present. Could we, with the swiftness of a sunbeam, travel 
beyond the limits of creation, and for ages continue our 
journey in infinite space, we should still be surrounded by 
the Divine presence, nor could we ever reach that portion of 
space where God is not. Of this sublime doctrine the Scrip- 
ture proofs are both numerous and clear. Solomon, in his 
dedicatorial prayer, uses this language : " "Will God indeed 
dwell upon the earth? Behold, the heaven, and heaven of 
heavens, cannot contain Thee ; how much less this house 
which I have builcled ! " (I. Kings 8 : 27.) David says, 
u Whither shall I go from Thy Spirit ? or whither shall I flee 
from Thy presence ? If I ascend up into heaven, Thou art 
there ; if I make my .bed in hell, behold, Thou art there ; if I 
take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost 
parts of the sea, even there shall Thy hand lead me, and Thy 
right hand shall hold me." (Psa. 139 : 7-10.) " Do I not 
fill heaven and earth, saith the Lord ? " (Jer. 23 : 24.) 
Jesus claimed ubiquity, when He said, " Where two or three 
are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst 
of them." (Matt. 18 : 20.) This omnipresent " God is our 
refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble ; there- 



346 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

fore, will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and 
though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea." 
(Psa. 42 : 1, 2.) 

4. He is a God of infinite goodness. This, considered as 
a distinct attribute of God, signifies benevolence, or a dispo- 
sition to communicate happiness to His sentient creatures, 
according to the different capacities with which He has en- 
dowed them. Divine goodness is frequently spoken of under 
different names, corresponding to the condition or circum- 
stances of its objects. In bestowing favors upon the un- 
worthy, it is called grace ; in supplying the wants of the in- 
digent, it is called bounty • in commiserating the suffering, it 
is called pity ; in granting pardon to the guilty, it is called 
mercy ; and in bearing with persistent offenders, it is called 
patience or long-suffering. "We are, therefore, not to regard 
these as distinct attributes of God, but only as different 
modes in which He exercises His infinite goodness toward 
His creatures. 

When Moses requested God to show him His glory, His 
reply was this : " I will make all my goodness pass before 
thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee." 
(Exo. 33 : 19.) This He did, when He descended in a cloud, 
and stood with Moses on Mount Sinai. Passing before His 
servant He proclaimed, " The Lord, the Lord God, merciful 
and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and 
truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and 
transgression and sin." (Exo. 34 : 6, 7.) With this proc- 



TRUST IN GOD. 347 

lamation the teachings of the Psalmist are in perfect har- 
mony. He says, u Thou, Lord, art good, and ready to for- 
give ; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon 
Thee." (Psa. 86 : 5.) And again, " O give thanks unto the 
Lord, for He is good, for His mercy endureth for ever." 
(Psa. 106 : 1.) 

There is no revelation of the Divine goodness more im- 
pressive, or more encouraging to fallen man, than that which 
compares it with parental affection. Jesus says, " If ye then, 
being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, 
how much more shall your Father, which is in heaven, give 
good things to them that ask Him ? " (Matt. 7:11.) David 
testifies that, " Like as a father pitieth his children, so the 
Lord pitieth them that fear Him." (Psa. 49 : 15.) But the 
most emphatic expression of the infinite goodness of God is 
contained in a message of encouragement, which He sent to 
His ancient Israel. The Church was afflicted and discour- 
aged, and saying in her disconsolate condition, " The Lord 
hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me." But 
in this hour of need God sent his prophet to say to her, 
" Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not 
have compassion on the son of her womb ? Yea, she may 
forget, yet will not I forget thee.'' (Isa. 49 : 15.) Stronger, 
therefore, is the loving kindness of God toward those who 
fear Him, and think upon His name, than are the purest 
specimens of parental affection. 



348 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

Having considered the omnipoteuce, omniscience, omni- 
presence, and infinite goodness of God, as constituting a solid 
foundation for trust in Him, we add this one remark, that all 
His other perfections are in perfect harmony with these. 
Even His eternal justice is, by the economy of redemption, 
reconciled to the pardon and salvation of penitent sinners ; 
for God can "be just, aud the justifier of him which believ- 
eth in Jesus." (Rom. 3 : 26.) St. John asserts, " If we con- 
fess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, 
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (I. John 1 : 9.) 
Believing, therefore, that in the God of the Bible we have an 
almighty and infinitely benevolent Father, who will with- 
hold from His children no real good, we should trust Him 
for all things, at all times, and under all circumstances. 

To meditate on what God has done for His people in past 
ages, can hardly fail to strengthen our confidence in His 
special providence and fatherly goodness. " Our fathers 
trusted in thee," says the Psalmist ; " they trusted, and thou 
didst deliver them. They cried unto thee, and were deliv- 
ered ; they trusted in thee, and were not confounded." (Psa. 
22 : 4, 5.) This statement of the Psalmist is fully exempli- 
fied in sacred history. Thus God saved Noah from the flood 
which swept away an ungodly world ; Lot, from the destruc- 
tion of Sodom and Gomorrah ; the children of Israel from 
their bondage in Egypt ; Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, 
from the fiery furnace ; Daniel, from the den of lions, and 
Peter, from the hand of Herod and from his Jewish enemies. 



TRUST IX GOD. 349 

" This God is our God for ever and ever, He will be our 
guide even unto death." (Psa. 48 : 14.) Nor will He for- 
sake His people then ; for Jesus says, " I will come again, 
and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may 
be also." (John 14 : 3.) 

As a peroration to our theme, we reiterate the sentiments 
of Israel's sweet singer, in a metrical version of the twenty- 
third psalm : 

The Lord is my Shepherd, my Guardian and Guide, 
By whom all my numerous wants are supplied. 
In soft and green pastures He gives me a bed ; 
Aud beside the still waters of peace I am led. 

My spirit, if lauguid and helpless it be, 
Is restored by His grace, so abundant and free ; 
And for His own sake He leads me in the way 
Of truth and uprightness, by night and by day. 

Though I should be summoned to pass through the vale 
Of death's gloomy shadow, my faith shall not fail ; 
For He will be with me my spirit to cheer : 
His rod and His staff shall protect me from fear. 

Though now I sojourn in an enemy's land, 

My table is spread by my Shepherd's own hand : 

My head is anointed with oil from above, 

And my heart overflows with a sense of His love. 

Surely goodness and mercy my steps shall attend, 
Until my life's journey shall come to an end. 
Then I shall receive my eternal reward, 
And evermore dwell in the house of the Lord. 



The Knowledge of Christ. 



" / count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge 
of Christ Jesus my Lord." (Phil. 3:8.) 

It is a great error to suppose that " ignorance is the mother 
of devotion." So far from its being promotive of piety, it is 
a most fruitful source of superstition, moral degradation, and 
crime. God declared of ancient Israel, " My people perish 
for lack of knowledge." To this cause the wickedness of the 
Jews in crucifying our Lord, and in persecuting His disciples, 
was justly ascribed. Jesus said, " They know not what they 
do." If, therefore, we would ascertain the true foundation 
of rational devotion to God, we must seek for it in knowl- 
edge. We must know the God whom we serve, the nature 
of the service which He requires, and, as far as possible, the 
reason why this service must be rendered. 

In harmony with these sentiments, the Scriptures repre- 
sent the work of salvation as commencing in the enlighten- 
ment of the mind, and as progressing in an increase of that 
knowledge which is according to godliness. And, as the 
knowledge of God and of His Son Jesus Christ is necessary 
to our personal salvation, it is due to ourselves, and a duty 
we owe to God, to prize this knowledge above every other 

350 



THE KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST. 351 

attainable object. This is the sentiment which the apostle so 
clearly and forcibly expresses, in the language of the text. 
" Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the 
excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord." 

We will consider the knowledge spoken of, its excellency, 
and the apostle's estimate of its comparative value. 

I. The knowledge spoken of. The apostle calls it 
" the knowledge of Christ Jesus the Lord." By knowledge 
is meant a clear and certain perception of that which exists, 
or of truth and fact. The means by which we acquire 
knowledge are sensation, reflection, and rational induction. 
Sensation consists in the impression which external objects 
make upon the mind, through the organs of sense. Reflec- 
tion is that retrospective view which the mind takes of its 
own experience, and from which new ideas are evolved. 
Rational induction consists in drawing just conclusions from 
previously established premises. And if to these means of 
receiving knowledge we add the fact, that God has made us 
capable of believing, or of exercising faith, we have before us 
all existing inlets to human knowledge. 

It is assumed by some, that the term knowledge should be 
restricted to what we learn by sensation, consciousness, and 
reason ; and that what we receive upon testimony is not 
knowledge, in the proper sense of that word. The distinc- 
tion, however is not well founded ; for though the effect pro- 
duced upon the human mind by the evidence of testimony is 
called faith or belief, yet it may be quite as satisfactory, as that 



oOZ GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

which is produced by sensation. Moreover, the exercise of 
believing is so interwoven with the acquisition of all knowl- 
edge, that every department of it depends, in a greater or less 
degree, upon the exercise of faith. Indeed, in some cases, 
knowledge depends on faith alone. St. Paul says, "We 
know that, if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dis- 
solved, we have a building of God, a house not made with 
hands, eternal in the heavens. 7 ' (II. Cor. 5 : 1.) And St. 
John declares, " We know that, when He (Christ) shall 
appear, we shall be like Him ; for Ave shall see Him as He 
is." (I. John 3 : 2.) In both these instances, the knowl- 
edge spoken of is obtained by faith alone ; and such, in a 
large measure, is the knowlege of Christ Jesus our Lord. It 
was, in St. Paul's case, what he knew, theoretically, and 
experimentally, of Christ and His religion. This knowl- 
edge implies, 

1. A recognition of that superior degree of light and 
Divine instruction, which is revealed in the Gospel. God 
made Himself known to mankind, in a goood degree, by the 
inspired Scriptures and religious institutions of the Old 
Testament dispensation ; but it is to the Gospel of Christ that 
we must look, for a full development of the plan of human 
redemption. Here new and important truths are brought to 
light, which had been concealed from all preceding genera- 
tions of men. Hence our Lord said to the people, " Blessed 
are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear. 
For verily I say unto you, that many prophets and righteous 



THE KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST. 353 

men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have 
not seen them ; and to hear those things which ye hear, and 
have not heard them." (Matt, 13 : 16, 17.) St. Paul, in 
speaking of a revelation peculiar to the Gospel, calls it " the 
mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations 
but now is made manifest to the saints." (Col. 1 : 26.) 

2. A belief in the two-fold nature of Christ. The Scrip- 
tures clearly teach, that in Christ Jesus there are two whole 
and distinct natures, the human and the Divine ; and that 
these two natures are so united as to constitute one person — 
one Christ, We admit, that this union of God and man is a 
great mystery, and perfectly beyond our comprehension ; 
but it is not any more mysterious than is that union betwixt 
matter and mind which every man is bound to acknowledge, 
in relation to his own person. 

It is not necessary to multiply words, in regard to the 
human nature of our Lord ; for it is established both by the 
history of His life, and by direct Scripture testimony. 
His biography proves that He was born of a woman, was at 
first a helpless infant, passed through His years of minority, 
and grew up to a state of maturity, just like other human 
beings, that He experienced hunger and thirst, weariness of 
body, pain and sorrow like other men ; and that finally He 
suffered death upon the cross. These facts prove that Jesus 
of Nazareth was really a man ; and the same truth is estab- 
lished, beyond the shadow of a doubt, by the testimony of 
the Scriptures. St. John says, "The Word was -made flesh, 



354 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

and dwelt among us." (John 1 : 14.) St. Paul testifies that 
" He took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in 
the likeness of men." (Phil. 2:7.) Again, " Forasmuch 
then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also 
Himself likewise took part of the same. For verily He took 
not on Him the nature of angels ; but He took on Him the 
seed of Abraham." (Heb. 2 : 14, 16.) 

Not only do the Scriptures establish the humanity of 
Christ, but they as clearly prove that He is truly and 
absolutely Divine. This they do, by ascribing to Him the 
titles, the attributes, the works, and the worship, which belong 
to God alone. He is therefore, in the language of St. John, 
" The true God, and eternal life." (I. John 5 : 20.) And 
as He is both human and Divine, He is sometimes called 
man, or the Son of man ; and at other times God, or the Son 
of God. But it must not be forgotten that these two natures 
are so united as to constitute one person. 

The two-fold nature of our Lord is clearly exemplified in 
the history of His life. As a man we behold Him sleeping 
in a ship upon a stormy sea ; but He is aroused from His 
slumbers by the cry of His fearful disciples, and, with 
Divine authority, He calms the agitated waters by a single 
word. As a man He is actuated by a sense of hunger, and 
turns aside to seek relief to the cravings of nature ; but as 
God He exerts His omnipotence, in drying up the fig tree 
which yielded nothing but leaves. As a man he sheds tears 
of sympathy and friendship at the grave of the departed 



THE KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST. 355 

Lazarus ; but as God He issues His mandate, and Lazarus 
bounds back to life, and is restored to his weeping sisters. 
As a man He is nailed to the cross, and endures untold agony, 
but as God He bestows pardon on a penitent fellow sufferer, 
and opens to him the gate of the celestial Paradise. 

It seems to be according to the fitness of things, that the 
Eedeemer of the world should be both human and Divine. 
As He is God, He possesses infinite power, wisdom, and 
benevolence ; and He is therefore both able and willing " to 
save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him." 
And as He is man, we have in Him a friend and brother, 
in whose sacrificial death and triumphant resurrection we 
have a sure pledge both of salvation from sin, and life 
eternal. Jesus said to His disciples, " Because I live, ye 
shall live also." 

3. An experimental reception of Christ in His threefold 
office. He is revealed to us as our Prophet, our Priest, and 
our King ; and it is only by receiving Him in these official 
relations, that a saving knowledge of Christ can be gained. 
This knowledge is therefore fitly called, " The knowledge of 
Christ Jesus the Lord." We must receive Him, 

1.) As our Prophet. As such He was spoken of by 
Moses, when he said to his people, " The Lord thy God will 
raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy 
brethren, like unto me ; unto Him ye shall hearken." 
(Deut. 18 : 15.) This prediction is quoted by St. Luke, and 
applied to Jesus Christ, the great Prophet of the Gospel 



356 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

dispensation; of whom it was declared, " Never man spake 
like this man." When He had ended His sermon on the 
Mount, " the people were astonished at His doctrine ; for He 
taught them as one having authority, and not as the Scribes." 
(Matt. 7 : 28, 29.) 

The prophetic office of our Lord consists in making known 
to mankind the Divine plan of human redemption. This 
He does by the inspired deliverances of holy men ; by His 
own announcement of the Gospel ; by the preaching of His 
apostles, and their successors in the Gospel ministry ; and by 
the operations of the Holy Spirit. To know Christ as our 
Prophet, is to become conversant with revealed truth, to 
embrace it by faith, and to regard it as our only safe directory 
in all the paths of life. 

2.) As our Priest. That Jesus Christ, in the work of our 
salvation, sustains the office of a Priest, is clearly taught in 
the Bible. The Psalmist represents the Father as solemnly 
declaring to the Son, " Thou art a Priest for ever, after the 
order of Melchizedeck." (Psa. 110:4.) And St. Paul 
writes, " Seeing then, that we have a great high priest, that 
is passed into the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold 
fast our profession." (Heb. 4 : 14.) The two leading func- 
tions of the priestly office are to offer sacrifice for the sins of 
the XDeople, and to make intercession for them ; and in both 
these respects He is our Priest. He " hath redeemed us from 
the curse of the law, being make a curse for us." (Gal. 
3 : 13.) " He bore our sins in His own body on the tree." 



THE KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST. 357 

(I. Peter 2 : 24.) And St. Paul says, " It is Christ that died, 
yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand 
of God, who also maketh intercession for us." (Pom. 8 : 34.) 
But to know Christ in His Priestly office is to realize a 
personal salvation through the merits of His sacrificial death 
and continued intercession. 

3.) As our King. The regal office is so frequently 
ascribed to our Lord in the Scriptures, either directly or by 
implication, that a formal defense of His regal character is 
unnecessary. Indeed, He positively claimed the office, when 
examined before Pilate, He said, " My kingdom is not of this 
world;" and when Pilate inquired "Art thou a king then?" 
His answer was, " Thou sayest that I am a king. To this 
end was I born, and for this cause come I into the world, 
that I should bear witness unto the truth." (John 18 :37.) 
And, as King and Head of the Church He has given us a 
system of laws, which we must obey, if we would receive 
Him as our King. 

But the all-important fact, that our Lord claims the right 
to govern the inner man, as well as to control the outward 
conduct, must not be forgotten. He, therefore, carries on a 
reign of grace in those who submit to His authority, by 
which He subdues their carnality, strengthens them to obey 
His commandments, and impresses upon their moral nature 
that " holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord." 
Hence He said to His disciples, " The kingdom of God is 
within you." (Luke 17 : 21.) And St. Paul says, " The 



358 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

kingdom of God is not meat and drink ; but righteousness, 
and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." (Rom. 14 : 17.) 
Such, then, is the knowledge of Christ Jesns the Lord : — a 
theoretic knowledge of Gospel truth ; an experimental knowl- 
edge of Gospel salvation ; and a practical knowledge of Gos- 
pel obedience. This leads us to notice, 

II. The excellency of this knowledge. When 
we turn our attention to the nature and capabilities of the 
human mind, and to the circumstances with which, in the 
providence of God, men are usually surrounded, we are forced 
to conclude, that the Creator designed them to be, in an emi- 
nent sense, receptacles of knowledge. He, therefore, who 
refuses knowledge counteracts the Divine purpose, and wrongs 
his own soul. But while knowledge in general is both 
desirable and profitable, some departments of it are of more 
value than others ; because they are more directly and exten- 
sively contributory to the glory of God and the good of man. 
On this principle we may safely ascribe to the knowledge of 
Jesus Christ the Lord a degree of excellence which inheres in 
no other kind of knowledge. This is seen, 

1. In its absolute certitude, or truthfulness. Much of what 
passes for knowledge among men, may be denominated 
" science falsely so called." The history of the world tells 
us, that human theories and systems of philosophy are largely 
unreliable ; that opinions adopted by one class of scientists 
may be rejected by another ; and that doctrines long and 
extensively believed, are now regarded as untenable, and have 



THE KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST. 359 

passed away like the mists of the morning. But while 
human theories and opinions are continually changing, (i the 
knowledge of Christ Jesus the Lord " knows no change ; 
because it is based upon the moveless rock of the Divine 
veracity. Jesus says, " Heaven and earth shall pass away, 
but my words shall not pass away." (Matt. 24 : 35.) And 
Peter informs us, that we are brought into a state of salva- 
tion " by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever " 
(I. Pet. 1 : 23.) The truthfulness of this knowledge might 
be argued from various considerations, but that is not neces- 
sary. Its excellency is seen, 

2. In its salutary influence upon man's temporal condition. 
To see this question in its true light, we must contrast the 
condition of heathen nations, with that of those which enjoy 
the light of revealed religion. Viewing the world in its 
political aspect, we inquire, where do we find mild and right- 
eous rulers, equitable and wholesome laws, benevolent and 
charitable institutions, and contented and happy subjects? 
Facts compel us to ansAver, not in heathen lands ; for in them, 
with hardly an exception, we trace the footsteps of despotism, 
usurpation, rebellion, poverty, and wretchedness. To find, 
therefore, the best examples of political happiness and pros- 
perity, we must go to those nations of the earth, whose rulers 
acknowledge the Divine authority of the Bible, whose laws 
are in accord with its teachings, and whose citizens partici- 
pate in the privileges and blessings of the Gospel. Truly, 
righteousness exalteth a nation ; but sin is a reproach to any 
people." (Prov. 14 : 34.) 



360 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

To realize social and domestic happiness, the knowledge of 
Christ is absolutely necessary. Heathenism and infidelity 
have a direct tendency to dissocialize society, and to sap the 
foundation of domestic enjoyment. On the other hand, it is 
only where the Gospel has the strongest hold upon the faith 
and affections of the people, that the greatest amount of 
social and domestic happiness is realized. The mission of 
Christianity, so far as it relates to our social life, is to unite 
every man to his fellow man, in the bonds of justice, benevo- 
lence, and love — to promote peace on earth, and good will 
among men. It requires all men to do to others as they 
would that others should do to them. It kindly lifts from 
the shoulders of the wife and mother the oppressive burden 
that heathenism compels her to carry. It places her by the 
side of her husband as his companion and equal, and de- 
mands of them mutual love and mutual help. It reveals the 
laws by which both parents and children should be governed, 
in all their relative duties ; obedience to which cannot fail to 
contribute largely to the temporal good of all concerned. 
But the crowning excellence of " the knowledge of Christ 
Jesus the Lord " is, 

3. Its perfect adaptation to the spiritual wants of fallen 
man. Though these wants are numerous, and of such a 
nature, that not one of them can be relieved by mere human 
agency, yet they are all provided for, without a single excep- 



THE KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST. 361 

tion, in the wonderful plan of redeeming grace, which is 

revealed to us in the New Testament. As the poet has 

expressed it, 

" Our numerous griefs are here redressed, 
And all our wants supplied : 
Naught we can ask to make us blest 
Is in this book denied." 

In specifying some of our spiritual wants we remark, 
1.) That we need the regeneration of our moral nature, or, 
to be born of the Spirit. This indeed, is our primary want. 
Though we were created in the image of God, we have lost 
that image by the fall ; and though we take our personal 
existence through the mediation of Christ, we nevertheless 
come upon the stage of action in a depraved and helpless 
condition ; and with a nature prone to sin, and spiritually 
dead. Intellectual culture can hardly fail to interest and 
ennoble its subjects, and to shed a benign influence upon the 
face of society ; but it cannot, even when carried to its high- 
est degree, produce that moral change which is necessary to 
eternal life. Hence, a man may become a distinguished 
scientist, and, at the same time, be a notorious transgressor 
of the laws of God. 

But to gain a knowledge of Christ Jesus the Lord, is to 
be made a partaker of regenerating grace. Not only did our 
Lord say to the people, " Ye must be born again," but His 
biographer says, " As many as received Him, to them gave 
He power to become the sons of God, even to them that 



362 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

believe on His name : which were born, not of blood, nor of 
the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." 
(John 1 : 12, 13.) To gain this knowledge is to be raised up 
from a state of spiritual death to the possession and enjoy- 
ment of spiritual life. Jesus said, the hour is coming, and 
now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God> 
and they that hear shall live." John 5 : 25.) In a word, he 
who gains a knowledge of Christ Jesus the Lord is, as was 
king Saul when the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, 
" turned into another man ; " for, " if any man be in Christ, 
he is a new creature ; old things are passed away ; behold, all 
things are become new." (II. Cor. 5:17.) 

2.) We need some satisfactory evidence of the Divine 
approval. The Bible, our own conscience, and the Holy 
Spirit testify that we are sinners ; and reason indicates that a 
God of infinite holiness and justice will punish transgressors, 
unless they can be pardoned in harmony with his moral 
government. The benevolence of God inclines us to hope for 
mercy ; but whether our sins are actually blotted out, or 
stand recorded against us, Ave would have no way of know- 
ing, if God had not graciously provided, in the economy of 
redemption, for this desideratum. 

Two facts may be called to the witness stand, in this case, 
whose testimony places the question of our acceptance with 
God beyond a reasonable doubt. First, when God pardons 
a sinner, He gives him a knowledge of this gracious act, by 
the testimony of the Holy Spirit. St. Paul said to the 



THE KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST. 363 

Romans, " Ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby 
we cry Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with 
our spirit, that we are the children of God." (Romans 8 : 15, 
16.) St. John writes, Hereby know we that we dwell in 
Him and He in us, because He hath given us His Spirit." 
(I. John 4 : 13.) 

The second fact is, that the consciousness of every pardoned 
sinner is in exact accord with Scripture testimony in regard 
to this gracious change. In all cases pardon is preceded by 
penitence, apprehended by faith, and followed by peace or 
joy. St. Peter in, preaching Christ to the people, used 
this language : " Repent ye, therefore, and be converted, that 
your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing 
shall come from the presence of the Lord." (Acts 3 :19.) 
St. Paul says, " Being justified by faith, we have peace with 
God, through our Lord Jesus Christ." (Rom. 5:1.) Now, 
in the light of these facts and inspired testimonies we need 
not long remain in darkness, or even in doubt, respecting the 
question of the Divine approval. We remark, 

3.) That our immortal nature ardently longs for a state of 
contentment and comfort in this life. This universal feeling of 
humanity is, to a great extent, the actuating principle of our 
race. It was doubtless intended, by the Creator, to be pro- 
motive of human weal ; but our fallen nature inclines us to 
seek its gratification by means which never can secure the 
desired end. Our erring and wayward disposition is forcibly 
expressed by the prophet : "All we, like sheep, have gone 



364 GOSPEL TIDIXGS. 

astray ; we have turned every one to his own way." (Isa. 
53 : 6.) One man expects to gain the " bliss for which he 
sighs " by the acquisition of wealth ; another, by scientific 
attainments ; a third, by securing political popularity ; and a 
fourth, by the attainment of military glory. But all who 
seek permanent enjoyment in any earthly object, pursuit, or 
attainment, are doomed to disappointment ; for, if we were 
even in circumstances, as Solomon was, to make full proof of 
the various sources of human comfort, we would be com- 
pelled, nevertheless, to turn away from each experiment, ex- 
claiming, as he did, " All is vanity, and vexation of spirit." 
Is there then no permanent contentment or enjoyment for 
man in the present life ? There certainly is; but to realize 
it, he must be in a state of reconciliation with God. Jesus 
says, " Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, 
and I will give you rest." (Matt. 11:28.) Nor is this 
merely that rest from condemnation which is realized in the 
hour of justification ; it is that continuous rest or peace of 
mind which those enjoy, who take upon them the yoke of 
Christ, and learn of Him to be meek and lowly. It was to 
this state of repose or contentment that our Lord had refer- 
ence, when He said to His disciples, " Peace I leave with 
you, my peace I give unto you." (John 14 : 17.) But, as 
the human soul was evidently created to enjoy God, nothing 
short of an indwelling Deity can fully satisfy the longings of 
our immortal nature. This, however, is graciously provided 
for, in the gift of the Holy Spirit to those who believe : Jesus 



THE KNOWLEDGE OF CHEIST. 365 

said, " I will pray the Father, and He shall give yon another 
Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever ; even the 
Spirit of Truth ; whom the world cannot receive, because it 
seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him : but ye know Him ; 
for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." (John 
14 : 16, 17.) The Scriptures teach, moreover, that the "love 
of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost 
which is given unto us." (Rom. 5 : 5.) And that " he that 
dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him." (I. 
John 4:16.) TTe remark, 

4.) We need light on the future, to comfort us in the pros- 
pect of death. " The living know that they shall die ; " but, 
in the absence of revealed religion, all beyond this solemn 
event is wrapped in the sable mantle of impenetrable dark- 
ness. This, however, does not prevent us from meditating 
upon a future state ; or from asking such questions as nature 
may suggest. We cannot carry our loved ones to the grave 
without asking, will death be to them an eternal sleep ? or, 
do their spirits continue to live in some unknown locality ? 
If the latter, shall they live forever in a disembodied state ? 
or, shall these bodies, at some future period, be called into 
life, and shall each soul be again united to the same body 
from which it has been separated by death *? If a state of 
conscious existence awaits us beyond death, will it be a state 
of retribution ? Shall we recognize, in the future world, 
those with whom we are associated here ? These, and similar 
questions, often force themselves upon our consideration ; but 



366 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

they are questions on which human knowledge can shed no 
light. Men may climb to the very summit of the hill of 
science ; their names may be recorded on the brighest page of 
the annals of fame ; their praise may be borne upon the 
wings of every passing wind ; but unless they enjoy a light 
which nature cannot give, they must remain in absolute ig- 
norance of all that lies beyond the tomb. 

Here revealed religion — the knowledge of Christ Jesus 
the Lord, comes to our relief. It teaches us that, though 
man must die, he shall live again — that though, at death, the 
body shall " return to the earth as it was ; and the spirit shall 
return unto God who gave it," they shall be again united in 
an endless state of conscious existence. 

When our Lord informed His disciples that He would 
soon leave them, and go to the Father, their hearts were 
filled with sorrow ; but to comfort them He said, " Let not 
your hearts be troubled : ye believe in God, believe also in 
Me. In My Father's house are many mansions : if it were 
not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for 
you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come 
again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there 
ye may be also." (John 14 : 1-3.) In agreement with this, 
St. Paul says, " We know that, if our earthly house of this 
tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a 
house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." (II. 
Cor. 5:1.) 



THE KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST. 367 

But we are taught to expect a future life for the body, as 
well as for the soul ; for though death, like a mighty con- 
queror, shall bring all men down to the dust, he cannot hold 
them for ever. • God has decreed that his grasp on humanity 
shall be broken, and that there shall be a resurrection of all 
the dead. Jesus said, " The hour is coming, in which all 
that are in the graves shall hear His voice, and shall come 
forth ; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of 
life ; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of 
damnation." (John 5 : 28, 29.) 

Thus we might proceed, in the light of revealed truth, to 
consider other interesting questions in relation to the future 
state ; but enough has been said to show, that the knowledge 
of Christ Jesus the Lord is man's best comfort in the pros- 
pect of death. And now, after reviewing the whole argu- 
ment, we feel inclined to say, in the language of St. Peter, 
" Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us 
again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ 
from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, 
and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who 
are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation 
ready to be revealed in the last time.' 7 It remains for us to 
consider. 

III. The apostle's comparative estimate op this 
knowledge. " Yea doubtless, and I count all things but 
loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my 



368 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

Lord/ 7 We must not conclude, from this language of the 
apostle, that he was opposed to education, or that he under- 
valued scientific attainments. Pie was, himself, a highly 
educated man, having been brought up at the feet of Gama- 
liel, a distinguished doctor of the law ; nor is there any evi- 
dence that he ever regretted the course he had pursued in the 
acquisition of scientific and literary knowledge. On the 
other hand, he has given us ample proof that he was in favor 
of the highest possible degree of mental culture. Speaking 
of his own attainments he said, " I thank my God, I speak 
with tongues more than ye all." (I. Cor. 14 : 18.) And in 
writing to Timothy, a young minister of the Gospel, he gives 
him this advice : " Study to show thyself approved unto 
God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly 
dividing the word of truth." (II. Tim. 2 : 15.) 

The apostle evidently means, that he regarded the knowl- 
edge of Christ Jesus the Lord as of more value to him than 
all else that he could obtain, possess, or enjoy in the present 
life ; and that, when laid in the balance with human learn- 
ing, earthly possessions, worldly honors, and thrones of 
power, it more than outweighs them all. 

He tells us that his hope of salvation rested upon a 
broader foundation, humanly speaking, than that of any 
other man of his day. He says, " If any other man think- 
eth that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more : 
circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the 
tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews, as touching 



THE KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST. 369 

the law, a Pharisee ; concerning zeal persecuting the Church ; 
touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless." 
That he had trusted in these distinguishing privileges and 
traits of character, can hardly be donbted ; but he had 
learned to count all things loss for the superior knowledge 
of Christ. 

Saul of Tarsus, in receiving Christ, acted in view of the 
wants of his Avhole nature, physical, intellectual, and moral ; 
and had respect to his own best interests, both in time and 
eternity. In the course which he pursued he has given to 
the world a striking example both of true wisdom and self- 
denial. 

1. Of true wisdom. This is shown in the end which he 
proposed to accomplish, and in the means which he employed 
for its attainment. The end proposed, in this case, as stated 
by himself, was this : " That I might win Christ, and be 
found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is 
of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, 
the righteousness which is of God by faith." (Phil. 3 : 8, 9.) 
To reach this end — the grandest object of all human aspira- 
tion, he betook himself to the only means of its attainment, 
the knowledge of Christ Jesus the Lord ; for, Jesus is the 
only " name under heaven given among men, whereby we 
must be saved." (Acts 4:12.) 

2. Of self-denial. This is one of the essential character- 
istics of true Christianity. " If any man will come after 

24 



370 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

me," said our Lord to His disciples, " let him deny himself, 
and take up his cross, and follow me." (Matt. 19:24.) 
Moses gave to mankind an impressive example of self-denial, 
when he " refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter ; 
choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, 
than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season." And so did 
Saul of Tarsus, when he received Christ as the promised 
Messiah. He was so thoroughly grounded in the Pharisaic 
type of the Jewish religion, that he verily thought with 
himself he ought to do what he could, to exterminate Chris- 
tianity from the world. He was ardently attached to his 
own nation, and doubtless placed a high estimate upon his 
genealogy, education, and undeviating conformity to the 
Mosaic law ; and, as he was eminently fitted by nature to be 
a leader among the people, his prospects in regard to the 
attainment of wealth, honor, and official position must have 
been most encouraging. But he tells us, " What things were 
gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ." One flash of 
light from the personal presence of the glorified Redeemer 
brought the relentless persecutor to the earth ; changed the 
whole current of his thoughts, purposes, and pursuits ; and 
led him in penitence to inquire, " Lord, what wilt thou have 
me to do ? " From that sacred hour, until the day of his 
death, he maintained the character of a self-denying, humble, 
and faithful servant of Jesus Christ. 

In conclusion, we urge you to follow the bright example 
of St. Paul, in choosing the knowledge of Christ, even 
though it may be at the expense of every other desirable 



THE KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST. 371 

object. Its possession will be to you a never failing source 
of comfort, in all the various conditions of the present life ; 
it will give you peace and triumph in the dying hour ; and 
it will secure for you an eternal weight of glory in the world 
to come. 



Labor and Reward 



" Therefore my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, immovable, 
always abounding in the work of the Lord ; forasmuch as 
ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord" 
(I. Cor. 15 ; 58.) 

The leading theme of this chapter is the resurrection of the 
human body at the last day. This the apostle argues from 
the resurrection of Jesus Christ, showing that these two events 
are linked together in the economy of human redemption, as 
the first fruits of the earth are introductory to the full harvest. 
If, as some say, the resurrection of the human body is 
impossible, then Christ has not risen from the dead ; and if 
Christ has not risen, the whole superstructure of Christianity 
is baseless and delusive, and we are yet unredeemed and in 
our sins. 

But that Christ did actually rise from the dead, is an 
established fact ; if any fact can be established by human tes- 
timony. On this basis the apostle proceeds to argue that, 
" as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made 
alive ; " and that, " as the first fruits of the season are predic- 
tive of the coming harvest, so we have a pledge of this resur- 
rected life in the resurrection of our Lord, who has become 
the first fruits of them that slept." 

372 



LABOE AND REWARD. 373 

The same result is to be expected from the regal character 
of the risen Christ. He now occupies the throne in His 
mediatorial kingdom, and will reign, till His enemies shall 
be subdued. Even death itself shall be destroyed; and 
" then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, 
Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy 
sting ? O grave, where is thy victory ? The sting of death 
is sin, and the streDgth of sin is the law. But thanks be to 
God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus 
Christ." 

In view of these encouraging facts, and as a practical 
application of the whole argument, the apostle says to his 
beloved brethren, " Be ye steadfast, immovable, always 
abounding in the work of the Lord ; for as much as ye know 
that your labor is not in vain in the Lord." 

In this text we have an exhortation to Christian labor, 
enforced by a weighty consideration. 

I. An exhortation to Christian labor. " Be stead- 
fast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord." 
This labor embraces three Christian duties, 

1. Religious stability. u Be ye steadfast." This is to be 
settled, fixed, established ; to continue in the same mind, to 
pursue the same object. It is used in opposition to instabil- 
ity, inconstancy, mutability, fickleness. Steadfastness is of 
incalculable value, in all the various pursuits of human life ; 
nor is it to be expected that men can excel, in any depart- 
ment, without it. It is absolutely necessary to success in 



374 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

mechanic art, in literary attainments, in professional life ; and 
it is equally so in religion. Christianity requires its voteries 
to be steadfast, 

1.) In doctrine. We cannot be too careful in forming 
our religious creed ; but when it is adopted, it should be held 
sacred ; nor should we give up a single article, until it is 
clearly shown to be untenable. " Buy the truth, and sell it 
not." (Prov. 23 : 23.) Religious stability is very different 
from bigotry or stubbornness. It always carries with it a 
willingness to yield to the dictates of reason and Divine 
revelation. It implies a firm and unfaltering adherence to 
Gospel truth, both in theory and practice. St. Paul's exhor- 
tation to his Ephesian brethren is this : " Be no more chil- 
dren tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of 
doctrine by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, where- 
by they lie in weight to deceive." (Eph. 4:14.) Again, 
" Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines ; for 
it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace." 
(Heb. 13 : 9.) 

2.) In regard to the object of their pursuit. The Israelites, 
in all their tortuous and tedious journey ings in the wilderness, 
still kept in view the promised land, as the home and resting 
place toward which they were tending. So, likewise, Chris- 
tian pilgrims commence and prosecute their religious journey, 
in expectation of a home in heaven. Jesus says, " To him 
that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is 
in the midst of the Paradise of God." (Rev. 2 : 7.) 



LABOR AND REWARD. 375 

There are some whose religious life is of the intermissive 
type. They are sometimes so zealous in religious matters, 
that they seem to think of little else ; but at other times they 
are so neglectful of religious duties that they are hardly dis- 
tinguishable from the ungodly throng. In beautiful contrast 
with this kind of experience is that of St. Paul ; who declares 
" This one thing I do, forgetting those things which are 
behind, and reaching forth to those things which are before, 
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of 
God in Christ Jesus." (Phil. 3:14, 15.) 

3.) In the use of the means of grace. All great ends are 
accomplished by the use of appropriate means ; and this is as 
true in religious matters, as in temporal pursuits. We 
admit, that nothing short of Divine power can save men from 
sin, and qualify them for heaven ; but God ordinarily per- 
forms His saving works of grace by the use of certain 
external appliances, which are therefore called Means of 
Grace. Under this title are included the preaching of the 
Gospel, the reading of the Scriptures, religious meditation, 
prayer, and the holy Sacraments ; and such is the importance 
of these means of grace in the economy of human recovery, 
that those who willfully and habitually neglect them have no 
right to hope for eternal life in the world to come. 

When Jesus commanded His apostles to " go into all the 
world, and preach the Gospel to every creature," He made 
this awfully solemn announcement : " He that believeth 
and is baptised shall be saved ; but he that believeth not 



376 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

shall be damned." (Mark 16:15,16.) Now, as " faith 
cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God/' so 
they who refuse to employ the Divinely appointed means of 
salvation do thereby bring upon themselves eternal destruc- 
tion. Hence the apostolic admonition, " See that ye refuse 
not Him that speaketh. For if they escaped not, who 
refused him (Moses) who spoke on earth, much more shall 
not Ave escape, if we turn away from Him (Jesus Christ) 
that speaketh from heaven." (Heb. 12 : 25.) 

2. Religious invincibility. Be " immovable." This 
term sometimes means the same, or nearly the same as 
" steadfast ; " but in this passage the terms convey different 
meanings. To be steadfast is to be habitually fixed and uni- 
form in one's voluntary actions ; but to be immovable, is to 
contend successfully against some extraneous force. The idea 
may be fitly illustrated by the defense of a military post 
against an invading foe. The exhortation to be immovable 
implies what is elsewhere plainly expressed, and what all 
true Christians know by experience, that " we must, through 
much tribulation, enter into the kingdom of God." (Acts 
14 : 22.) The world in which we live is at war with true 
godliness. It does not always meet us, however, in the atti- 
tude of hostility, but usually with professions of friendship 
and helpfulness. By deceptive smiles and delusive promises 
it seeks to gain our love for its wealth, its honors, and its 
pleasures ; and by this means to secure the soul's eternal ruin ; 
for, " if any man love the world, the love of the Father is 
not in him." (I. John 2 : 15.) 



LABOR AND REWARD. 377 

But our principal adversary is the " devil, who, as a roar- 
ing lion walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." 
(I. Pet. 5:8.) To contend successfully against the evil 
influences with which we come in contact in our Christian 
journey, we need something more than human resolves — we 
need Divine help. Peter declared, no doubt, what he believed 
to be true, when he said to the Master, " Though I should die 
with thee, yet will I not deny thee." Nevertheless, when 
the trying hour came, Peter cast away his confidence, and 
wickedly denied his Lord. It is an encouraging fact, how- 
ever, that with the help which God is able and always 
ready to afford, even his weakest servants may stand immov- 
able ; being " kept by the power of God through faith." St. 
Paul said to his Ephesian brethren : " Be strong in the 
Lord, and in the power of His might ; put on the whole 
armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles 
of the devil." 

3. Religious progress. "Always abounding in the work 
of the Lord." The phrase, " work of the Lord," means, 
not His own proper work ; but that work which He requires 
us to do. Taking it in this sense, the whole section may be 
regarded as suggestive of several facts in relation to the 
religion of Christ. It implies, 

1 .) That it is essentially progressive. The sacred writers 
teach this fact, by comparing it with progressive develop- 
ments in different departments of nature. It is compared to 
the advancing light of the morning. " The path of the just 



378 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the 
perfect day." (Prov. 4:18.) It is compared to vegetation 
" So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed 
into the ground ; and should sleep, and rise, night and day, 
and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not 
how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the 
blade, then the ear, and after that the full corn in the ear." 
(Mark 13 : 26-28.) It is also compared to animal growth. 
" Unto you that fear my name," saith the Lord, " shall the 
sun of righteousness arise, with healing in His wings ; and 
ye shall go forth and grow up as calves of the stall." (Matt. 
4 : 2.) St. John evidently alludes to different stages of Chris- 
tian attainments, when he writes to little children, young 
men, and fathers. We will add only one other illustration, 
taken from practical chemistry. " The kingdom of heaven 
is like leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three meas- 
ures of meal, till the whole was leavened." (Matt. 13 : 33.) 
2.) That religious progress must be in harmony with 
Divine revelation. It is " in the work of the Lord " — the 
work which He requires, that we are exhorted to abound. 
Men may talk fluently about liberal Christianity ; they may 
conform their creed to what they are pleased to call the 
advanced thought of the present age, and the discoveries of 
modern science, and call this religious progress ; but so far 
as they turn away from the obvious teachings of the Bible 
to follow their own unestablished theories, just so far their 



LABOR AND REWARD. 379 

advancement is like that which was required by the military 
captain, when he commanded his company to advance three 
steps backwards. 

Christianity requires advancement both in knowledge and 
sanctity. Thus Peter exhorts believers to " grow in grace, 
and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." (II. 
Pet. 3 : 18.) And again he says, "Add to your faith virtue 
(or courage) ; and to virtue knowledge ; and to knowledge 
temperance ; and to temperance patience ; and to patience 
godliness ; and to godliness brotherly kindness ; and to broth- 
erly kindness charity. For if these things be in you and 
abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren (or 
idle) nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus 
Christ." (II. Peter 1 : 5-8.) 

This passage of Scripture, from the peculiarity of its 
wording, seems to imply that a man may be justified by 
faith, and at the same time be destitute of the fruits of the 
Spirit ; which are afterward to be added one to the other, 
as indicated in the text. This, however, cannot be a correct 
view of the passage ; because it is not in harmony with the 
analogy of faith. The Scriptures teach us that justification 
and regeneration are concomitants in the work of our salva- 
tion ; that a justified man is also a subject of regeneration ; 
and that, " if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature : 
old things are passed away ; behold, all things are become 
new." It follows, therefore, that he who is graciously 
" accepted in the Beloved," and " born of the Spirit," is put 



380 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

in possession of all the essential elements of the " new ruan," 
and that the apostle, in calling our attention to these fruits 
of the Spirit individually ', teaches us the important lesson, 
that we must not overlook or neglect any one of them, if we 
would build up a symmetrical Christian character. 

Continuance in a justified state is conditioned upon the 
improvement of the talents and Christian graces with which 
God is pleased to endue His children. Not to advance is to 
retrograde. The servant who neglected to improve the one 
talent which his lord gave him, is, therefore, called a 
" wicked and slothful servant." And St. Peter, after speak- 
ing of the several graces which Chistians should cultivate, 
says, " He that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see 
afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old 
sins." In a word, he has become a backslider. 

Men of very limited knowledge in Divine things may find 
God in pardoning mercy and renewing grace ; but unless they 
make an effort, as circumstances may allow, to grow in 
religious knowledge and moral purity, they cannot be faithful 
Christians. As newborn babes desire the aliment which 
nature has provided for their sustentation and growth, so 
they who are born of the Spirit should " desire the sincere 
milk of the word, that they may grow thereby. (I. Pet. 
2:2.) 

Advancement in sanctity is applicable both to our moral 
nature, and our moral conduct. Applied to our moral 
nature, it means progression in holiness, or a growing con- 



LABOR AND REWARD. 381 

forraity to the image of God. Asa child, literally speaking, 
possesses all the elements of manhood, except what is to be 
supplied by growth and maturation ; so, the child of God is 
endowed with all that is necessary to a new and spiritual life, 
and to that advancement in moral purity which culminates 
in perfect manhood in Christ Jesus. 

We have an impressive representation of both the process 
and completion of this gracious work, in that remarkable 
prayer which St. Paul offered to God, in behalf of his Ephe- 
sian brethren. It is this : " That He would grant you, 
according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with 
might by His Spirit in the inner man ; that Christ may 
dwell in your hearts by faith ; that ye, being rooted and 
grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints, 
Avhat is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height ; and 
to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge ; that 
ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.' 7 Nor did 
the apostle, in these petitions, pray for what he did not know 
to be obtainable ; for he says of himself; " I am crucified 
with Christ : nevertheless I live ; yet not I, but Christ liveth 
in me : and the life which I now live in the flesh T live by 
the faith of the Son of God." (Gal. ^UO.) 

Advancement in sanctity, when applied to our moral 
conduct, consists in increased obedience to God's revealed will. 
His law is our perfect rule of life. To " fear God, and keep 
His commandments is the whole duty of man." And Jesus 



382 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

says, " Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command 
you." (John 15 : 14.) God requires, therefore, that our 
Christianity be practical, as well as experimental. 

But it is not to be expected that the obedience of those 
who have recently been brought " from darkness to light, and 
from the power of Satan unto God," should be as uniform 
and complete as that of those who have had longer experience 
in the service of Christ, and know more as the devices of 
Satan. Nor is it to be supposed, that converting grace 
reveals at once to its subject a perfect catalogue of religious 
or Christian duties. There are two respects, therefore, in 
which obedience to God is susceptible of advancement ; 
First, By successive discoveries of new obligations; and 
Secondly, By an increase of moral ability to resist temptation, 
and to bear the cross of Christ. 

3.) That religious progress should be perpetual, or contin- 
uous : " always abounding in the work of the Lord." In the 
progressive work of our recovery from sin there is doubtless 
a point of time, when the believer attains to what may be 
called Christian maturity, or full salvation ; but it is never- 
theless both his privilege and his duty, while life continues, 
to grow in likeness \j God. The brightest saint on earth 
must put off this corruptible body, before he can shine in 
that perfect image of God in which man was created. 

We do not claim that the redeemed will advance in holi- 
ness or moral purity in the world to come ; for this simple 
reason, that holiness or perfect moral purity is a prerequisite 



LABOR AND REWARD. 383 

to the obtainment of eternal life. Hence we are exhorted to 
" follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no 
man shall see the Lord." (Heb. 12:14.) St. Paul tells us, 
that Christ gave Himself for the Church, " that He might 
present it to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot, or 
wrinkle, or any such thing ; but that it should be holy and 
without blemish." (Eph. 5 : 27.) And the innumerable 
company of the redeemed, which John saw before the throne 
of God, are characterized as having " washed their robes, and 
made them white in the blood of the Lamb." (Rev. 7 : 14.) 

From these, and other Scriptures of like tenor, we draw 
the conclusion, that all changes in the moral condition of 
human beings are confined to the present life ; and conse- 
quently, that there is no advancement in moral purity in the 
world to come. That condition, therefore, whether righteous 
or wicked, in which every man is found at the moment of 
death, must determine his eternal destiny. The final award 
will be ; " He that is unjust, let him be unjust still : and he 
which is filthy, let him be filthy still : and he that is right- 
eous, let him be righteous still : and he that is holy, let him 
be holy still." (Rev. 22:11.) 

That "just men made perfect" may be susceptible of 
intellectual advancement in the future life, we see no reason to 
deny. Indeed, if glorified saints shall retain their present 
mental powers ; if their immortal bodies shall possess organs 
of sense ; and if they shall be conscious of passing time and 
passing events, to deny any of which would be palpably 



384 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

absurd ; then must we admit, that they will be capable of 
intellectual advaucement in the life to come, to an indefinite 
extent. With Dr. Watts every Christian may sing : — 

" Then shall I see, and hear, and know 

All I desired or wished below ; 
Arid every power find sweet employ 

In that eternal world of joy." 

II. The consideration by which these duties are 
enforced. " For as much as ye know that your labor is 
not in vain in the Lord." The term labor, in its common 
acceptation, means any effort, or exertion, whether physical 
or mental, for the accomplishment of some definite object or 
end. In this case the labor is obedience to God ; and the end, 
eternal life. 

Labor is man's Divinely appointed inheritance in the 
present life. It is neither an evil in itself, nor a penal conse- 
quence of sin ; but a wise and benevolent appointment, on 
the part of God, for the good of man. Accordingly, when 
God had prepared a most beautiful garden for the accommo- 
dation of " the man whom He had formed," and before sin 
had entered into the world, He put him in possession of his 
Eden home, " to dress it and keep it." 

So far as men labor in harmony with the Divine will, they 
cannot labor in vain. But our fallen and depraved nature 
has been a fruitful cause of increasing, immensely, the sum of 
human labor ; much of which is in vain. Indeed, mankind, 
to an alarming extent, are slaves to " the lust of the flesh, 



LABOR AND REWARD. 385 

and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life." They 
" spend money for that which is not bread ; " and their 
" labor for that which satisfieth not." Of Christians alone 
can it be truthfully predicated, " Your labor is not in 
vain in the Lord." 

Some men labor in vain, because they undertake to do 
what is beyond their ability. It is this kind of folly, of which 
there are many examples, to which our Lord referred ; and 
which He illustrated and exposed, by 'the case of the man 
who " began to build, and was not able to finish." (Luke 
14 : 30.) This, however, will not apply to those who are 
laboring to enter into eternal rest. It is, we admit, a heroic 
undertaking, for a poor, degraded, and helpless sinner to 
" cease to do evil," and " learn to do well ; " to build up a 
Christian character, and to gain a qualification for the 
heavenly world ; but it can be done : " not by (human) might 
nor by (human) power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of 
hosts." (Zech. 4 : 6, 7.) " Come now, and let us reason 
together, saith the Lord : though your sins be as scarlet, they 
shall be as white as snow ; though they be red like crimson, 
they shall be like wool." (Isa. 1:18.) It is as easy for God 
to save a sinner from the domination of seven devils, or of a 
legion, as of one. The only condition He requires on the 
part of the subject is faith : Jesus says, " All things are 
possible to him that believeth." (Mark 9 : 23.) 

Some labor in vain because, though they succeed in com- 
pleting their projected plans, they realize no adequate remun- 

25 



386 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

eration for their toil and expenditures. In this sense, how- 
ever, the Christian's labor is never in vain. Christianity, it 
is true, makes large and encouraging promises to all who 
embrace it ; but it never disappoints their expectations. He 
who is born again, and made partaker of the Spirit of 
adoption, feels, in that joyous hour, that his happiness 
exceeds his previous hopes. He knows, by his own conscious- 
ness, that his labor is not in vain. He exclaims with the 
prophet, " O Lord, I" will praise Thee : though Thou wast 
angry with me, Thine anger is turned away, and Thou com- 
fortedst me." (Isa. 12 : 1.) He sings with the Psalmist, 
" I love the Lord because He hath heard my voice and my 
supplications. Because He hath inclined His ear unto me, 
therefore will I call upon Him as long as I live." (Psa. 
116:12.) Thus the Christian knows by a blessed experience, 
that his " labor is not in vain in the Lord ; " that he 
has " peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ ; " 
and that he has "joy unspeakable and full of glory." 
But what shall we say, in regard to the future life ? Have 
we any intelligence from beyond the Jordan of death, that 
can comfort us in the dying hour ? O yes ; yes ! Jesus said 
to His beloved disciples, in view of His leaving them and 
ascending to the Father ; " I go to prepare a place for you. 
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, 
and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may 
be also." (John 14 : 2, 3.) In agreement with this consol- 
ing promise of our Lord, St. Paul asserts, "We know that 



LABOR AND REWARD. 387 

if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we 
have a building of God, an house not made with hands, 
eternal in the heavens." (II. Cor. 5:1.) In what may be 
called the apostle's farewell address, as expressed in his 
second letter to Timothy, he has given to the Church a 
graphic portrayal of the dying Christian : "I am now ready 
to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I 
have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have 
kept the faith : henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of 
righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall 
give me at that day : and not to me only ; but to all them 
also that love His appearing." (II. Tim. 4:6, 7, 8.) 

" O what are all my sufferings here, 

If, Lord, Thou count me meet, 
With that enraptured host to appear, 

And worship at Thy feet ! 

Give joy or grief, give ease or pain, 

Take life or friends away, 
But let me find them all again, 

In that eternal day." 



Redeeming Love 



" God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, 
that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but 
have everlasting life." (John 3:16.) 

The text is a part of that interesting and instructive con- 
versation, which onr Lord held with Mcodeinus, a ruler of 
the Jews. This distinguished man believed, as his own 
words prove, that Jesus of Nazareth was a Divinely author- 
ized teacher ; and it is reasonable to conclude, therefore, that 
he sought an interview with Him with an honest intention 
to gain religious instruction. 

The first lesson propounded to this inquirer was one, how- 
ever, which he hardly anticipated — the absolute necessity of 
being born again ; or, of that change of heart and life, which 
makes a man a new creature. It was soon made evident, how- 
ever, that Jesus understood his moral condition, and that the 
lesson which He taught him was the one which he most needed ; 
for though he was " a master in Israel," he was nevertheless 
an utter stranger to the new birth. 

Our Lord, having taught Nicodemus the necessity of 
this moral change, and having shed some light upon its 
nature also, called his attention to the source of this gracious 
work — the love of God as revealed to man, through the 

388 



REDEEMING LOVE. 389 

mediation of Jesus Christ. Hence He declared, " God so 
loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that 
whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but have 
everlasting life." 

In the discussion of this passage of Scripture, which some 
have declared to be an epitome of the Gospel, we will con- 
sider it as calling our attention to the nature, the proof, the 
objective extent, and the final cause of God's redeeming love. 
We will consider, 

I. Its nature. " God so loved the world." To love 
an object is, in the common acceptation of the term, to regard 
it with approval, pleasure, and affection, on account of its 
good qualities, either real or supposed. But it is not possi- 
ble that, in this sense, God could have loved our fallen 
world. His own nature and man's moral condition forbid 
such a conclusion. Man, considered as the object of redemp- 
tion, was sinful, depraved, and helpless ; while God is holy, 
and " of purer eyes than to behold evil." 

How, then, are we to understand the term love, as employed 
in the text ? We reply : God loved the world, not with 
the love of approval or delight, but with that of pity and 
compassion. When God revealed His glory to Moses, He 
declared Himself to be " the Lord God, merciful and gra- 
cious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, 
keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and trans- 
gression and sin." (Exo. 31 : 6, 7.) With this description 
of the infinite benevolence of God many other passages of 



390 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

Scripture agree. The Psalmist says, " The Lord is gracious, 
and full of compassion ; slow to anger, and of great mercy." 
(Psa. 145 : 8.) And in allusion to the principle on which 
God extends saving grace to the guilty, the prophet says, 
concerning Israel, " In His love and in His pity He redeemed 
them." (Isa, 63 : 9.) St. James asserts, " the Lord is very 
pitiful, and of tender mercy." (James 5: 11.) This, then, 
is the light in which we are to understand the love of God, 
when it is spoken of as the moving cause of man's redemp- 
tion. This subject was clearly understood, and beautifully 
expressed by Dr. Watts, thus : — 

" With pitying eyes the Prince of grace 
Beheld our helpless grief : 
He saw, and O, amazing love ! 
He flew to our relief." 

We will proceed to consider redeeming love, 

II. In its proof. " God so loved the world, that He 
gave His only begotten Son." In looking at this wonderful 
event, as a proof of God's redeeming love, we will notice 
both the character ascribed to the Redeemer as the gift of 
God, and the manner in which He was given. We notice, 

1. The character ascribed to the Redeemer as the Gift of 
God : — " His only begotten Son." It is not necessary to 
quote Scripture to show that this is an authorized designa- 
tion of the world's Redeemer ; for He is so denominated 
more than thirty times in the New Testament. Two things 
then are here to be noted : — 



EEDEEMING LOVE. 391 

1.) That He is the Son of God. He is the Son, not by 
creation ; for "All things were created by Him, and for Him : 
and He is before all things, and by Him all things consist." 
(Col. 1 : 16, 17.) Not by His resurrection; by which He 
was only " declared to be the Son of God." (See Rom. 1 : 4.) 
Nor yet by His incarnation ; but by an eternal filiation. We 
know 1hat the doctrine of the eternal sonship of our Lord is 
regarded by some, as involving an absurdity ; because, say 
they, the Son cannot be as old as the Father. This, among 
men, is true, when we speak of them personally or individ- 
ually ; but when we confine ourselves to the simple fact 
of relationship, it is not true ; for sonship and fatherhood 
imply one another, and are, therefore, necessarily coeval. 
Hence, if we believe in the existence of a triune God, it is as 
rational to believe in the eternity of the Son, as the Son, as 
in the eternity of the Father. 

Moreever, St. John declares, "that the Father sent the 
Son to be the Saviour of the world ; " but if the Saviour did 
not exist as the Son of God before He was sent, it could not 
be true, " that the Father sent the Son." We do not hesitate 
to say, therefore, that man's Redeemer is the eternal Son of 
God ; that this is the only view which is in harmony with the 
teachings of the Bible ; and that, in this gift of God we have 
the strongest possible proof of the infinite love of God toward 
fallen man. We note, 

2.) That He is the only begotten Son. While this phrase- 
ology expresses a fact respecting our Lord, which, perhaps, 
created minds may never be able fully to comprehend, it 



392 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

tends to heighten our admiration of redeeming love, by an 
appeal to human affections. It is painful, under any circum- 
stances, for a parent to part with a beloved child ; but it is 
peculiarly painful to give up an only child. What inexpres- 
sible agony of mind must Abraham have felt, when God 
commanded him to take his only son Isaac, whom he most 
tenderly loved, and offer him as a burnt offering to the 
Lord. Who but Abraham, whose faith had triumphed over 
seeming impossibilities, could have yielded obedience to so 
trying a requisition? 

From the clause, " He gave His only begotten Son," it is 
justly inferable, that this gift was the only means by which 
a fallen world could be saved from eternal death. It will 
be admitted by all, that no greater sacrifice could have been 
made, for man's redemption, than the gift of the Son of God; 
and to suppose that any other agency inferior to His could 
have redeemed the world, is the same as to suppose, that 
God employed an expenditure of means, in saving the world, 
beyond the necessities of the case ; which cannot be allowed. 
Hence, to say that Jesus is the only Name by which we can 
be saved, is both rational and Scriptural. 

2. The manner in which God gave His only begotten Son. 
He gave Him, 

1.) By prophetic announcement. Scarcely had the dark 
cloud of man's fallen and lost condition settled down upon 
the sinning pair, when the voice of God was heard, graciously 
promising, that the offspring of the woman should crush the 



^ REDEEMING LOVE. 393 

serpent's head. As centuries moved onward, the light of 
prophesy grew brighter and brighter ; until the evangelical 
prophet was heard to proclaim, " Behold, a virgin shall con- 
ceive, and bear a Son, and shall call His name Inmianuel," 
(which means God with us.) And again, " Unto us a child 
is born, unto us a Son is given ; and the government shall be 
upon His shoulders : and His name shall be called Wonder- 
ful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the everlasting Father, the 
Prince of Peace." (See Isaiah 7 : 14 and 9:6.) A little 
later, another prophet declared, " Thou Bethlehem Ephratah, 
though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out 
of thee shall He come forth unto me that is to be Ruler in 
Israel ; whose goings forth have been from of old, from 
everlasting." (Micah 5 : 2.) He gave Him, 

2.) By typical representations. A type, in a Scriptural 
sense, is a prophetic symbol ; or, in the apostle's language, "a 
shadow of good things to come." The whole Mosaic 
economy was largely a dispensation of types and shadows, all 
pointing to corresponding objects in the history of redemption. 
As examples we may notice the Passover, the Manna, the 
Cities of Refuge, the Smitten Rock, and the Day of Atone- 
ment. These, together with the daily sacrifices under the 
law, were typical of important facts in the redeeming work 
of Christ. He gave Him, 

3.) By the assumption of humanity. That the Son of God 
took upon Himself our nature, with all its innocent infirmi- 
ties ; and that Divinity and humanity thus united constitute 



394 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

one person, are propositions fully established by the Scrip- 
tures. St. John asserts that the " Word was made flesh, and 
dwelt among us." (John 1 : 14.) And St. Paul says, 
" When the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth 
His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem 
them that were under the law, that we might receive the 
adoption of sons." (Gal. 4 : 4, 5.) Again, He " took upon 
Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of 
men." (Phil. 2 : 7.) " For as much, then, as the children 
are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise 
took part of the same." (Heb. 2 : 14.) But He gave Him, 

4.) By His sacrificial death upon the cross, as an atone- 
ment for sin. The prophet said, in predicting this event, 
" He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for 
our iniquities ; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him ; 
and with His stripes we are healed." (Isa. 53 : 5.) We are 
taught by St. Paul, that God hath made the Son, "who 
knew no sin, to be sin (a sin offering) for us ; that we might 
be made the righteousness of God in Him." (See II. Cor. 
5 :21.) St. Peter testifies, that He a bore our sins, in His 
own body, on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should 
live unto righteousness ; by whose stripes we are healed." 
(I. Peter 2 : 24.) 

These considerations, when taken together, prove beyond 
a doubt, that God loved our fallen world, with an intensity 
which has no parallel. " Scarcely for a righteous man will 
one die ; yet perad venture for a good man some Avould even 



REDEEMING LOVE. 395 

dare to die. But God commendeth His love toward us, in 
that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Bom. 
5:7, 8.) We will now call attention, 

III. To THE OBJECTIVE EXTENT OF REDEEMING LOVE. 

" God so loved the world" In this clause of the text, that 
figure of speech is employed, by which the name of the con- 
tainer designates the contained. Hence the term world means 
those who live in the world ; and the doctrine taught is, that 
God loved mankind. But to define more particularly the 
objective extent of God's redeeming love, we remark, 

1. That it was limited to fallen man. We must bear in 
mind that the moral government of God includes angels, as 
well as men ; that some of them had fallen by sin, before 
Adam transgressed the law of God ; and that, for sinning 
angels no redemption was provided. Peter says, " God 
spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, 
and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved 
unto judgment." (II. Peter 2 : 4.) The same awful truth is 
taught in the sixth verse of the general epistle of Jude. He 
says, " The angels which keep not their first estate, but left 
their own habitation, He (God) hath reserved in everlasting 
chaius under darkness, unto the judgment of the great day." 
It is therefore evident, that the redeeming love of God did 
not extend to fallen angels ; for the Son of God "took not on 
Him the nature of angels ; but He took on Him the seed of 
Abraham." 



396 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

Why God redeemed fallen man, and consigned sinning 
angels to hopeless perdition is a question too profound for us to 
fathom ; and yet there are facts of difference between these 
two classes of moral agents, which, if clearly understood, 
may show, at least to some extent, the reason of the Divine 
administration. First. Angels are intellectually superior to 
men ; and are therefore less liable to be deceived. Second. 
Angels are spirits ; and, consequently, cannot be influenced 
by bodily appetites, as men are. Third. Angels fell without 
a tempter ; but man by artful seduction. These considerations 
however, though they seem to indicate that angelic apostacy 
was more atrocious than that of our first parents, do not show 
why fallen man was redeemed, and angels not. If this ques- 
tion is solvable at all, it is only by the combined light of 
several facts in the Divine administration ; a few of which 
we will notice. 

1.) When God created His angelic host, He spoke each 
one into existence by a direct creative act. He placed them 
in a state of trial, and gave them a law .which required 
perfect obedience, and was enforced by an awful penalty. He 
gave them sufficient moral ability to obey the law, which 
many of them did, and are now angels in heaven ; but it was 
possible for them to transgress the law, without which there 
could not have been a state of trial. This, some of them 
did, thus bringing upon themselves the penalty of the law, 
and are justly beyond the possibility of redemption. 



REDEEMING LOVE. 397 

2.) It was doubtless the purpose of God, when He created 
man, that the earth should be peopled by the successive 
generations of His offspring. Accordingly, when He had 
formed the original pair, He " blessed them, and said unto 
them, be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and 
subdue it." (Gen. 1 : 28.) They too, like the angels, were 
placed in a state of probation, under a law which required 
perfect obedience, and the penalty of which was death. 
Though they had the ability to obey this law, they trans- 
gressed it, and became liable to its fearful penalty. 

3.) The darkest hour, since time began, was the hour of 
man's apostasy. Satan believed, no doubt, that God would 
inflict upon the sinning pair the penalty of the law. He 
concluded, therefore, when he had succeeded in corrupting 
humanity in its fountain-head, that he had defeated the 
purpose of God, in regard to the multiplication of the human 
race. It was in this gloomy hour of the world's history, 
while the poAvers of darkness were jubilant over the fall of 
man, that our benevolent Father began to reveal His wondrous 
plan of redeeming grace. This plan, Avhile it is in perfect 
accord with God's moral government, rescued the fallen pair 
from eternal death, placed them in a state of salvability, and 
made it possible for all their posterity to be saved. AVe remark, 

2. That redeeming love extended to all men. " God loved 
the world" This, Ave know, is a controverted question ; but 
believing as Ave do, that Jesus "tasted death for every man/' 
and that His redeeming work made it possible for all men to 



398 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

be saved, we will offer a few arguments in vindication of this 
proposition. We believe that the redeeming love of Christ 
extended to the whole human family, because, 

1.) The saving benefits of the atonement are, by Divine 
authority, offered to all men. Even under the Jewish 
dispensation God said, by His inspired prophet, "Look unto 
me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth ; for I am God ; 
and there is none else." (Isa. 45 : 22.) The Redeemer Himself 
commanded His ambassadors, saying, " Go ye into all the 
world, and preach the Gospel to every creature." (Mark 
16:15.) To preach the Gospel to fallen men is, to offer 
them salvation through the atonement of Christ : hence the 
command, " Preach the Gospel to every creature," that is, to 
every man, implies the salvability of every man ; for, to offer 
salvation to men who are doomed to eternal death, would be 
an act of mockery, incompatible with the character of God. 

No advocate of a limited atonement will pretend that there 
is a single passage of Scripture which declares, either that 
Christ did not die for all men, or that He died only for some. 
To say, therefore, that God, by an eternal and unchangeable 
decree, ordained a certain number of men " to dishonor and 
wrath," is, to say the least of it, a baseless assumption, 
" teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." 

2.) God declares His willingness to save all men. " As I 
live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of 
the wicked ; but that the wicked turn from his way and live." 
(Ezek. 33:11.) When St. Paul requested that " prayers, 



REDEEMING LOVE. 399 

intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all raen," he 
added, " for this is good, and acceptable in the sight of God 
our Saviour ; who will have all men to be saved, and to come 
unto the knowledge of the truth." (I. Tim. 2 : 2.) 

These Scriptures are so plain and applicable that they can 
hardly be misunderstood or misconstrued. They prove, first, 
that God has no pleasure in the death of any man ; and He 
emphasizes this truth by the solemnities of an oath : " As I 
live saith the Lord Gocl, I have no pleasure in the death of 
the wicked ; " and if not of the wicked, surely not of the 
righteous. Therefore, God has no pleasure in the death of 
any human being. But they as plainly prove, secondly, that 
He is willing that all men should be saved. Hence it neces- 
sarily follows, that if the atonement made by Christ was in 
harmony with the Divine will, it was made for all mankind. 

3.) The objects of redemption are designated by universal 
terms. Jesus says, God sent not His Son into the world to 
condemn the world ; but that the world through Him might 
be saved." (John 3:17.) St. John asserts of Christ, that 
" He is the propitiation for our sins ; and not for ours only, 
but also for the sins of the whole world." (I. John 2 : 2.) 
Again he says, " We have seen and do testify, that the Father 
sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world." (I. John 4 : 14.) 
St. Paul asserts that a He died for all;" and that He 
assumed our nature, " that He, by the grace of God, should 
taste death for every man." (See Hebrews 2 : 9.) 

If these Scriptures do not prove, beyond a reasonable 
doubt, that the redeeming love of God extended to the whole 



400 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

human family, making it possible for all men to be saved, 
we can hardly hope to establish any proposition by Scripture 
testimony. If it be said, by way of objection, that the 
phrase, " the world," or " the whole world," means nothing 
more nor less than the world of believers, or of the elect ; it is 
only necessary to reply, that no such world is spoken of in 
the Bible. So far from it, the people of God are expressly 
distinguished from the world. Jesus said to His disciples, 
" If ye were of the world, the world would love his own : 
but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you 
out of the world, therefore the world hateth you." (John 
15:19.) 

4. That God, by the gift of His Son, made it j)ossible for 
all men to be saved, is in perfect harmony with His revealed 
character, as the moral Governor of the world. The Scrip- 
tures declare that " God is love;" that " Justice and judg- 
ment are the habitation of His throne ; " and that " the Lord 
is good- to all; and His tender mercies are over all His 
works." Believing that all His doings are in accord with 
these attributes, we feel like exclaiming, with the Father of 
the faithful, " Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right." 
This, we are sure, He will do ; for His absolute rectitude is 
the basis of all moral law. But men may ascribe to God 
doings which He never did, and results of which He is not 
the cause. Thus, there are some who believe and assert, that 
there is a definite number of our fallen race whom God, in 
His plan of redemption, " was pleased to pass by ; and to 



REDEEMING LOVE. 401 

ordain to dishonor and wrath, for their sins." In regard to 
this supposed decree of reprobation, we have a few things to 
say. And 

1.) The doctrine is perfectly gratuitous. It is not sup- 
ported by a single well-defined passage of Scripture ; but is a 
mere dogma of absolescent theology, handed down to us 
from a comparatively dark age, and is extensively condemned 
by the enlighted criticism of the present day. Even many 
who have been drilled from their childhood in the doctrine 
of the Divine decrees, shrink from the adoption of the Cal- 
vinistic reprobation. 

2.) This doctrine is not only unsupported by inspired 
truth, but is in direct opposition to its teachings. To say 
that " God was pleased to pass by " any of our fallen race, 
" and to ordain them to dishonor and wrath," is a flat con- 
tradiction of that most solemn declaration of God — " I have 
no pleasure in the death of the wicked." For, if to be 
pleased to do an act, and to have pleasure in doing it, are 
phrases of the same import, which no one will deny, it will 
necessarily follow, that the decree of reprobation affirms what 
God positively denies ; that is, that He ivas pleased to ordain 
a result, in which He had no pleasure. 

3.) That the redeeming work of Christ was of sufficient 
merit to procure the salvability of all men, is a proposition 
which no one will dare deny. Hence, to suppose that God 
withheld, from any number of men, the saving benefits of 



26 



402 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

the atonement, and " ordained them to dishonor and wrath," 
is the same as to suppose, that He preferred their damnation 
to their salvation ; which we have shown to be contrary to 
the Scriptures. 

4.) But we are told, that reprobates are ordained to " dis- 
honor and wrath for their sins." This, however, does not 
mend the matter, but rather makes it worse. If God, from 
all eternity, ordained some men to eternal death, to say that 
they were so ordained for their sins, is an abuse of language, 
involving what is logically impossible ; for how can any one 
thing be the result, or the consequence, of what has no exist- 
ence ? If it is true that God, " from all eternity, hath 
unchangeably foreordained whatsoever comes to pass," He 
must have foreordained some men to everlasting death, before 
sin existed in His moral government. 

5.) But the most singular fact in regard to the decree of 
reprobation is, that it claims to be declarative of the glorious 
Justice of God. To gain a correct conception of this 
question, we must view it in the light of those steps, by 
which the final destiny of the unsaved is supposed to be con- 
summated. The principal links of this adamantine chain 
are the following : First, The eternal purpose of God, 
according to which, "for His own glory, He hath fore- 
ordained whatsoever comes to pass." Second, The fall of 
man, by which Adam and all his posterity became morally 
corrupt, and liable to eternal death. Third, The withhold- 
ing from those who were foreordained to everlasting death," 



REDEEMING LOVE. 403 

all the saving benefits of the redeeming work of Christ; 
thus making it absolutely impossible for any of them to be 
saved. And Fourth, The final award, " Depart from me, ye 
cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his 
angels." 

If this is a true picture of Calvinistic reprobation, as we 
think it is, instead of its being declarative of the " glorious 
justice " of God, it virtually ascribes to Him both injustice 
and cruelty. That this is a logical conclusion, from the teach- 
ings of this " horrible decree," we have no doubt ; and 
therefore we reject the tenet, as being repugnant to the word 
of God, and unworthy of a place in any Christian creed. 

That God is perfectly just, and infinitely benevolent, we 
most heartily believe ; and hence we hold the doctrine, that 
He never did and never will inflict the punishment of eternal 
death, upon any of His moral creatures, without previously 
making it possible for them to be saved. And in this sense 
we claim, that the redeeming love of God extends to the 
whole human family, and that Jesus Christ is the Saviour of 
all men. 

Having dwelt at some length upon the objective extent of 
redeeming love, we turn our attention, 

IY. To its final cause. " That whosoever believeth 
on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." A 
final cause is the end, for which any thing is done. In this 
case, it is the end for which God, in His infinite love, gave 
His only begotten Son. This, as the text shows, includes, 



404 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

1. Deliverance from impending ruin. " That whosoever 
believeth on Him (Christ) should not perish." But what is 
it to perish ? It does not mean, as some suppose, to be anni- 
hilated. For, though there is an hour in the lapse of time, 
when every man's existence begins ; there never will come an 
hour, in all the eternal future, when that existence shall 
terminate ; whatever may be his moral character. Jesus says, 
" These (the ungodly) shall go away into everlasting punish- 
ment : but the righteous into life eternal." (Matt. 25 : 46.) 
The thought of being annihilated is abhorrent to an intelli- 
gent moral creature ; but to perish, as lost sinners must 
perish, is infinitely more dreadful. It is to suffer the awful 
penalty of the law of God, world without end. 

Could we hold conversation with the fallen angels, who are 
bound in chains of darkness, or witli antidiluvians, who per- 
ished in the flood ; or with the ungodly Sodomites, who were 
carried to the spirit world in sheets of fire ; or with the 
rich man, ayIio lifted up his eyes in hell, being in torment ; 
we would hear a tale of woe, the mildest statements of which 
would be horrifying to the mind. 

But now, following the order of time in the administration 
of redeeming grace, we begin with its application to the first 
fallen pair. We have before stated, that when God created 
Adam and his companion, He jDlaced them in a state of pro- 
bation, and gave them a law which required perfect 
obedience ; or, as it is usually called, a covenant of works. 
To obey this law they doubtless possessed sufficient moral 



KEDEEMING LOVE. 405 

ability ; and had they obeyed it, they would, in due time, 
have been rewarded with eternal life. But as they violated 
the law by personal and voluntary transgression, they at once 
forfeited their probationary state, lost their primitive purity 
and holiness, and became justly liable to the penalty of the 
law, which was death. 

If this penalty had been inflicted upon the offenders, 
humanity would have perished from the earth ; but as God, 
in His redeeming love, had " contrived a way to save rebel- 
lious man/' He began the remedial process, by remitting the 
penalty of the law ; so that the offenders did not perish, but 
lived to " multiply, and replenish the earth. " To this pre- 
venient benefit of the redemptive plan all men are indebted 
for their personal existence. 

But another benefit of unspeakable value, which accrued 
to our first parents from the plan of redemption was a change 
in their covenant relation to God. As they had become 
incapable, by the fall, of obtaining salvation by the deeds of 
the law, God was pleased, in His infinite benevolence, to 
grant them a new state of trial, under new stipulations, com- 
monly called the covenant of grace. In this covenant God 
secured the salvability of our first parents and all their 
posterity, by the gift of His only begotten Son ; promising 
to save them from the ruins of the fall, and to bestow upon 
them eternal life, on condition of their " repentance toward 
God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ." We conclude 
therefore, that as God offers salvation to all men, He has 



406 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

made the salvation of all men possible ; and that no human 
soul will ever be punished with eternal death, except for 
rejecting the salvation proclaimed in the Gospel. 

2. The obtainment of eternal life. " That whosoever 
believeth on Him should have everlasting life." This life 
includes a pinined spirit, a resurrected and glorified body, and 
a blissful immortality of the whole man in the kingdom of 
heaven. 

1.) A purified spirit. In view of the abundant mercy 
and gracious help which God has unconditionally bestowed 
upon our fallen race, through the mediation of His beloved 
Son, He enjoins upon all men this reasonable requisition : 
" Wash you, make you clean ; put away the evil of your 
doings from before mine eyes ; cease to do evil ; learn to do 
well." (Isa. 1:16.) Jesus says, " Blessed are the pure in 
heart, for they shall see God." (Matt. 5:8.) St, Paul 
asserts, that " God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but 
unto holiness." (I. Tim. 4 : 7.) And of the redeemed in 
heaven it is said, " These are they which came out of great 
tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them 
white in the blood of the Lamb." (Rev. 7 : 14.) 

2.) A resurrected and glorified body. Jesus asserts, " This 
is the will of Him that sent me, that every one which seeth 
the Son, and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life ; 
and I will raise him up at the last day." (John 6 : 40.) 
And again, " I am the resurrection and the life : he that 
believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live." 



REDEEMING LOVE. 407 

(John 11 : 25.) St. Paul, in speaking of the resurrection of 
the human body, says, " It is sown in corruption ; it is raised 
in incorruption ; it is sown in dishonor ; it is raised in glory ; 
it is sown in weakness ; it is raised in power ; it is sown a 
natural body, it is raised a spiritual body." (I. Cor. 15 : 42- 
44.) He asserts, moreover, that Christ " shall change our 
vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious 
body." (Phil. 3:21.) 

3. A blissful immortality in heaven. There are two irre- 
pressible desires, which are natural to the human soul. One 
is, a desire for the perpetuation of our conscious existence. 
" To be, or not to be ; that is the question." And so strongly 
do men desire a conscious existence, that they would rather 
endure a degree of suffering, than to be annihilated. The 
other is, a desire for perfect enjoyment. This, we know, is 
not attainable in the present life ; for while in the world we 
shall have tribulation ; but the redeemed shall realize, in the 
future life, all that is meant in the language of the Psalmist, 
when he said, " In Thy presence is fullness of joy ; at Thy 
right hand there are pleasures foreverrnore." (Psa. 16 : 11.) 
Jesus said to His weeping disciples, when He was about to leave 
them, " I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to 
prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you 
unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." 
(John 14 : 2, 3.) 

11 There we shall see His face, 

And never, never sin ; 
There, from the rivers of His grace, 

Drink endless pleasures in." 



David's Charge to Solomon, 



" And thou, Solomon my son, knoiv thou the God of thy 
father, and serve Him with a perfect heart, and with a 
willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and 
under standeth all the imaginations of the thoughts : if 
thou seek Him, He will he found of thee ; but if thou 
forsake Him, He will cast thee off forever ." (I. Chron, 
28 : 9.) 

How solemn and impressive must have been the occasion, 
when King David delivered this inspired charge to his 
beloved and hopeful son ! God, in a most wonderful man- 
ner, had raised David up from comparative obscurity, to sit 
upon the throne of Israel ; and over that people he had 
swayed his kingly sceptre forty years. 

David had, at one time, resolved in his heart that he would 
build a temple for the Lord ; but he was Divinely instructed 
that, as he had been a man of war, and had shed human blood, 
it was not fitting that he should perform this work. God 
informed him, moreover, that though He approved his pious 
intention, He had chosen Solomon to build Him a house. 

The onward roll of numerous years, the incessant services 
of a long life, and the weight of official responsibilities, had 

408 



409 

changed the ruddy youth, the vigorous man, the fearless war- 
rior, the mighty monarch, into the man of age and infirmities, 
bending toward the tomb, and expecting soon to be gathered 
to his fathers. His zeal for the cause of God and the pros- 
perity of Zion, however, remained with him in all its fervor. 
Inspired by this, he had assembled all the chief men of Israel 
unto Jerusalem ; and, calling into requisition all his remain- 
ing strength, he stood upon his feet, perhaps for the last 
time, and delivered his solemn charge ; first, to the august 
assembly before him, and secondly, to his son in particular, 
who was soon to occupy his throne, and to superintend the 
building of a temple for God. 

His charge to Solomon, so far as it relates to moral and 
religious instruction, is quite as applicable to us, as it was to 
him. Therefore, that we may draw from it the lessons which 
it affords, let us turn our attention First, To the duties 
enjoined ; and Second, To the motives by which these duties 
are enforced, 

I. The duties enjoixed. "Know thou the God of 
thy father, and serve Him with a perfect heart, and with a 
willing mind." Here two things are required, in the line of 
human duty ; to know God, and to serve Him. It is the duty 
of all men, 

1. To Jcnoiv God. " Know thou the God of thy father ; " 

that is the true God, in opposition to the false gods of the 

Gentiles ; the God whom David served ; the God of Abra- 

am, and of Isaac, and of Jacob. But before we inquire 



410 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

into the nature of this knowledge, or how it is to be obtained, 
we will premise three things : first, that men by nature are 
destitute of the true knowledge of God ; secondly, that this 
knowledge is obtainable ; and thirdly, that in order to obtain 
it, the appropriate means must be voluntarily employed. 

But what is it to know God? Before we attempt to 
answer this question Ave must ascertain what is meant by the 
term " know." In its highest sense it means " to perceive 
with certainty ; " and in this sense it is usually restricted to 
what we know through the medium of sensation. In this 
sense of the word, however, we cannot know God ; because 
our organs of sense, being material, are incapable of perceiv- 
ing either the essence or the attributes of a purely spiritual 
being. " God is a spirit;" and accordingly it is written, 
that " no man hath seen God at any time." 

But to know very frequently signifies to believe, on the 
ground of satisfactory evidence. And this evidence may 
exist in testimony, in rational induction, or in human con- 
sciousness ; any one of which, or all of them together, may 
be a satisfactory ground of belief. We know most assur- 
edly, on the ground of reliable testimony, that there is a city 
in England called London, though we never saw it. On the 
same principle St. Paul says, " We know that, if our earthly 
house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of 
God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." 
(II. Cor. 5:1.) In this passage the object of the apostle's 
knowledge is purely an object of faith • but because this 



david's charge to solomon". 411 

faith rested upon reliable testimony, he calls it knowledge. 
St. John says, " We know that we have passed from death 
unto life, because we love the brethren." (I. John 3 : 14.) 
Here, the knowledge spoken of rests upon Divine testimony, 
human consciousness, and rational induction. This is the 
way, and the only way, in which we can gain a knowledge 
of God ; and now we repeat the question, " What is it to 
know God ? We answer, it is to know Him, 

1.) In the fact of His existence. It is to know or to 
believe that there is one living and true God, the Creator 
and Upholder of all things, and whose kingdom ruleth over 
all." " He that cometh to God must believe that He is, and 
that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." 
(Heb. 11 : 6.) That there is a God of almighty power and 
infinite wisdom, all nature declares. " The invisible things 
of Him, from the creation of the world, are clearly seen ; 
being understood by the things that are made, even His 
eternal power and Godhead." (Rom. 1 : 20.) He, there- 
fore, who says, " there is no God," is justly classed with 
those who are devoid of rationality. 

2.) In the teachings of His word. The human mind is 
capable, no doubt, of originating questions concerning God 
and Divine things, to which no direct answer can be found in 
the Scriptures ; but we may safely assert, that God has made 
a full revelation of all that is necessary to be known and 
believed, in order to our present and eternal salvation. 



412 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

" Secret things belong unto the Lord our God ; but those 
things which are revealed belong unto us and to our chil- 
dren for ever." (Deut, 29 : 29.) 

It is by revelation we gain a knowledge of God in regard 
to His nature and attributes ; His mode of existence as 
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost ; His works of creation and 
providence ; and His benevolent and glorious work of 
redemption. Hence, Jesus says, " Search the Scriptures, for 
in them ye think ye have eternal life ; and they are they 
which testify of me." (John 5 : 39.) And St. Paul, in 
writing to Timothy says, "From a child thou hast known 
the holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto 
salvation, through faith that is in Christ Jesus." (II. Tim. 
3:15.) 

3.) By the operations of the Holy Spirit in our personal 
salvation. This involves the whole process of a sinner's con- 
version to God. This gracious change has its inception in 
spiritual illumination. All men are, by nature, in a state of 
moral darkness ; but Jesus Christ, by His sacrificial death, 
rifted the cloud of guilt and condemnation which intervened 
between God and fallen man, through which light from 
heaven dawned upon our guilty race. Hence Jesus claims to 
be the light of the world. He said, when He was sojourning 
on earth, " As long as I am in the world, I am the light of 
the world ; " and when He was about to ascend to the Father, 
He told His sorrowing disciples that He would send them 
" the Comforter," the Holy Spirit ; — adding, "And when He 



413 

is come. He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, 
and of judgment." (John 16:8.) Now, if the Holy Spirit, 
as nWs Instructor, is sent into the world through the medi- 
ation of Jesus Christ, as the Scriptures teach ; and if a 
" manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit 
withal," as St. Paul asserts ; then Jesus Christ, by the Holy 
Spirit, " lighteth every man that cometh into the world," as 
He declares. And if God graciously bestows upon all men 
this prevenient light, they who will not improve it are with- 
out excuse. 

The grand, efficient, and heaven ordained means, however, 
of conveying light to our fallen world, is the Gospel minis- 
try. When our Lord said to His disciples, " Go ye into all 
the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature," He set 
on foot a system of religious instruction, which was to carry 
Divine and saving light to every valley, hill and mountain of 
the green earth. The Gospel is, emphatically, " the power of 
God unto salvation, to every one that believeth." This is 
forcibly taught by the glorified Redeemer, when He appeared 
to Saul of Tarsus, to make him a Gospel minister. His lan- 
guage is this : — " Delivering thee from the people, and from 
the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, to open their eyes, 
and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power 
of Satan unto God ; that they may receive forgiveness of sins 
and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith 
that is in me." (Acts 26 : 17, 18.) It is also our duty, 



414 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

2. To serve God. "And serve Him with a perfect heart, 
and with a willing mind." Here three questions arise, in 
regard to the service of God. 

1.) What is the ground of our obligation to serve Himf 
We answer, all men should serve God, because He is the 
absolute Sovereign over all created things ; because, as our 
rightful Sovereign, He has placed us under a law which is 
holy, just, and good ; and because, to serve Him is promotive 
of His glory, and absolutely essential to human happiness, 
both now and in the world to come. But the strongest 
claim to our service of God arises from the manifestation of 
His infinite love in our redemption. The apostle says, " Ye 
are not your own, for ye are bought with a price : therefore 
glorify God in your body, and in your Spirit, which are 
God's." (I. Cor. 6:19, 20.) 

2.) In what does the service of God consist ? Our reply 
is, it consists in knowing and doing His will. The first care 
of a faithful servant is, to know his master's will ; for if he 
does not know it, he cannot be expected to do it. In like 
manner, if we would serve God, we must know what He 
requires us to do. This points us at once to the Holy Scrip- 
tures, as being the rule both of what we ought to believe, 
and what we are required to do. But as we need Divine 
help to comprehend the spiritual meaning of the Scriptures, 
we should pray, as David prayed, " Show me thy way, O 
Lord : teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and 
teach me ; for Thou art the God of my salvation." (Psa. 



415 

25 : 4, 5.) When Saul of Tarsus Avas arrested by the power 
of God, and became convinced of his great wickedness, his 
earnest inquiry was, " Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?" 
In like manner, the conscience-smitten jailer cried out, "Sirs, 
what must I do to be saved ? " (Acts 16 : 30.) 

But to serve God acceptably, we must do His will, as well 
as know it. " Let us hear the conclusion of the whole mat- 
ter ; " says Solomon, " Fear God, and keep His command- 
ments; for this is the whole duty of man. (Eccl. 12 :13.) 
And our Lord says, " He that hath my commandments, and 
keepeth them, he it is that loveth me." (John 14:21.) 
Therefore, " Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, 
deceiving your own selves." (James 1 : 22.) 

3.) In what manner must we serve God ? This question 
is definitely answered in the text — " With a perfect heart, 
and with a willing mind." The term heart, as here employed, 
designates man's moral nature. A perfect heart means, 
therefore, a renewed or purified heart ; such a heart as David 
prayed for, when he said, " Create in me a clean heart, O, 
God ; and renew a right spirit within me." (Psa. 51 : 10.) 
Or, as the poet has expressed it : 

" A heart in every thought renewed, 
And full of love divine ; 
Perfect, and right, and pure, and good ; 
A copy, Lord, of thine." 

To serve God with " a willing mind," is to make His ser- 
vice a matter of voluntary choice ; and to take pleasure 
therein. The Psalmist tells us, that the people of the Mes- 



416 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

siah shall be willing in the day of His power : not made will- 
ing, as the passage is commonly quoted. God does not con- 
trol the human will by compulsion. He virtually says to all 
men, as He authorized Joshua to say to Israel, " Choose you 
this day whom you will serve." (Josh. 24 : 15.) We do 
not claim that fallen man has a will which is naturally free, 
independent of redeeming grace, to choose the good and refuse 
the evil ; but we believe that the work of redemption has 
secured to every man freedom from the bondage of the will 
to sin, and moral ability to choose life and the service of 
God. 

II. The motives by which the duties of the 
text are enforced. These are all drawn from the char- 
acter of God, as the Being whom we are required to serve. 
They are 

1. His omniscience. "For the Lord searcheth all hearts, 
and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts." 
A stronger representation of the infinite knowledge of God 
can hardly be formulated, than the one which is contained in 
this clause. To search oil hearts implies a wonderful extent 
of knowledge; to know the thoughts of all hearts is still more 
wonderful ; but to understand al the imaginations of the 
thoughts of all hearts, carries the idea of knowledge to abso- 
lute infinitude. David says, " O, Lord, thou hast searched 
me, and known me. • Thou knowest my down-sitting and 
mine up -rising : Thou understand est my thoughts afar off. 
Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art 



david's charge to solomon. 417 

acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in 
my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether." 
(Psa. 139:1,4.) 

2. His benevolence, in manifesting Himself to those who 
call upon Him. " If thou seek Him, He will be found of 
thee." That God should make Himself known to our fallen 
race is a gracious act, for which we should be unfeignedly 
thankful. It is as light to a benighted traveler, groping his 
way in the darkness, to find his desired home. God has 
made Himself known, not only in the fact of His existence ; 
but also in His adorable attributes, and in what He has done, 
and is willing to do, to save a lost and perishing world. 
" He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up 
for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all 
things." (Rom. 8 : 32.) Jesus says, " I came not to call 
the righteous, but sinners to repentance." (Luke 5 : 32.) 
And the royal proclamation which God makes to the world 
is this : " Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unright- 
eous man his thoughts ; and let him return unto the Lord, 
and He will have mercy upon him ; and to our God, for He 
will abundantly pardon." (Isa. 55 : 7.) The gracious pro- 
visions and promises of the Gospel are so full and encourag- 
ing, that all men must see it to be both their duty and high- 
est interest to seek God ; and that if they fail to realize his 
great salvation, the fault is their own. He called ; but they 
wickedly refused. 



27 



418 • GOSPEL TIDIXGS. 

3. His retributive justice. " If thou forsake Him, He 
will cast thee off forever/' This clause of the text involves 
the doctrine of apostasy, or of falling from a state of grace, 
so as to be eternally lost. It is not our purpose, however, 
to enter upon a critical discussion of this controverted tenet. 
There are doubtless many who honestly believe, that those 
who are born of the Spirit cannot so fall away, as to perish 
everlastingly. But believing as we do, that a righteous man 
may fall away and perish forever, we turn on* the light of 
Divine truth, which will speak for itself. " But when the 
righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth 
iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the 
wicked man doeth, shall he live ? All his righteousness that 
he hath done shall not be meutioned : in his trespass that he 
hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in 
them shall he die.'' (Ezek. 18 : 24.) As sure, therefore, as 
God is just and true, if the righteous forsake Him, He will 
vindicate His law and moral government by their eternal 
destruction. 



Piety and its Influence. 



" Let them that love Him be as the sun, when he goeth forth in 
his might." {Judges 5 :31.) 

The text is a part of the song of Deborah and Barak, on 
the occasion of their gaining a most signal victory over their 
enemies. The children of Israel had done evil in the sight of 
the Lord, and he had sold them into the hand of Jabin, king 
of the Canaanites, who oppressed them twenty years. But 
they cried to God for help ; and He stirred up Deborah the 
prophetess, who then judged Israel, to undertake to deliver 
them. 

She called to her aid Barak, the son of Abinoam, and 
directed him to levy an army of ten thousand men, of 
Naphtali and Zebulon, the tribes which had suffered the most, 
and to march them to Mount Tabor ; where the Lord would 
deliver into his hand the army of Jabin, with Sisera, the 
captain of the king's host. 

Barak, however, manifested an unwillingness to engage in 
the expedition, unless Deborah would go with him. To this 
she readily consented, but told him that God would punish 
him for his cowardice, by giving Sisera into the hands of a 
woman ; thus depriving him of the chief glory of the victory. 

419 



420 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

Scarcely had they levied their troops, and marched them to 
Mount Tabor, when Sisera, at the head of a powerful army, 
was ready to give them battle. 

It does not appear that Barak's army had the advantage of 
the usual instruments of warfare ; but God had undertaken 
the cause of the oppressed, and victory turned on Israel's side. 
The slaughter of the Canaanites was so general, that hardly 
one of them was spared. Sisera, leaving his chariot, escaped 
for his life on foot ; but he was put to death by Jael, the wife 
of Heber. 

It was to commemorate this divinely achieved and glorious 
victory, that this song was composed ; the closing sentence of 
which is its practical application. " So let all thine enemies 
perish, O Lord ; but let them that love Him be as the sun, 
when he goeth forth in his might." 

We will take occasion, from this passage of Scripture, to 
call attention to the religious character and moral influence of 
the people of God. 

I. Their religious character. This is presented in 
a single word ; love. " Let all them that love Him," that is, 
that love God, " be as the sun." Love is the absolutely 
essential and all comprehending principle of true religion. 
Without love to God, all our religious professions and pre- 
tentions are vain ; but in the possession of it, we have that 
which is declared to be " the fulfilling of the law." 

It is not to be supposed, however, that the unrenewed man 
can love God ; because he is " carnal, sold under sin." His 



PIETY AND ITS INFLUENCE. 421 

" carnal mind is enmity against God ; for it is not subject to 
the law of God, neither indeed can be." (Rom. 8 : 7.) It 
follows, therefore, that to love God, as it is our duty to love 
Him, presupposes that grand moral change, by which we are 
made new creatures in Christ Jesus. The fountain-head of 
love to God is in His manifested love to us ; a consciousness 
of which is imparted to us, by the gift of the Holy Spirit. 
St. John says, " We love Him because He first loved us." 
(I. John 4:19.) 

It is not a difficult task for any honest inquirer to deter- 
mine whether he does, or does not love God. Of all who 
love Him it may be affirmed, 

1. That He is the leading subject of their meditation. By 
a law of our nature we think often of those whom we love 
on earth ; and the frequency of our thinking of them usually 
corresponds to the ardency of our affection for them. This 
principle is equally applicable to the love of God ; and as we 
should love Him more than any other object, we should think 
more frequently of Him, than Ave do of any other object. 
David says, " How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, 
O God ! how great is the number of them ! If I should count 
them, they are more in number than the sand : when I 
awake, I am still with Thee." (Psa. 139 : 17, 18.) 

2. That they desire communion with God. The language 
of the Psalmist is very expressive, in regard to this fact. He 
says, " My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of 
the Lord ; my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living 



422 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

God. For a day in Thy courts is better than a thousand." 
(Psa. 84 : 2, 10.) Again, " As the hart panteth after the 
water brooks, so panteth niy soul after Thee, O God. My 
soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I 
come and appear before God? " (Psa. 42 : 1, 2.) St. John 
asserts that " our fellowship is with the Father and with His 
Son Jesus Christ. " 

3. That they wait upon God in His appointed means of 
grace. These are such as reading the Scriptures, hearing the 
Gospel, and prayer ; all of which are required in the word of 
God, and are justified by right reason. Jesus says, " Search 
the Scriptures ; for in them ye think ye have eternal life : 
and they are they which testify of me." (John 5 : 39.) To 
hear the Gospel is the duty, and should be the desire of all 
men ; " for it is the power of God unto salvation to every 
one that believeth." (Rom. 1:16.) Moreover, " Faith 
cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." 
(Rom. 10 : 17.) Jesus taught His disciples to pray, both by 
precept and example; laying it down, as a general rule, 
" that men ought always to pray, and not to faint." (Luke 
18:1.) St. Paul says, "I will therefore that men pray 
everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubt- 
ing." (I. Tim. 2 : 8.) 

4. That they talce pleasure in God's law. The Psalmist 
asserts of the righteous man, that " his delight is in the law 
of the Lord ; and in His law doth He meditate day and 
night." (Psa. 1 : 2.) And again, that " the law of his God 



PIETY AND ITS INFLUENCE. 423 

is in his heart." (Psa. 32 : 31.) " If ye love me," says our 
Lord, " keep my commandments.' 7 (John 14 : 15.) " Hereby 
we do know that we know Him, if we keep His command- 
ments. He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His 
commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." 
(I. John 2 : 3, 4.) 

5. That they desire to be like God. "As for me," said 
David, " I will behold thy face in righteousness : I shall be 
satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness." (Psa. 17 : 15.) 
Jesus encourage His disciples to hope for this likeness, when 
He said, " Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after 
righteousness ; for they shall be filled." (Matt. 5 : 6.) To 
the same end is that remarkable prayer of St. Paul, for his 
Thessalonian brethren : a The very God of peace sanctify 
you wholly ; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and 
body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord 
Jesus Christ. Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will 
do it." (I. Thess. 5 : 23, 24.) 

ft 6. That they love God's people. " By this shall all men 
know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love to one 
another." (John 13 : 35.) " Every one that loveth him 
that begat, loveth him also that is begotten of him." (I. 
John 5:1.) 

II. Their moral influence. Let them " be as the 
sun, when he goeth forth in his might." This beautiful 
figure is illustrative of several important facts, in regard to 



424 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

the moral influence of the lovers of God, upon the world 
around them. Following its suggestions, therefore, we will 
take occasion to remark, 

1. That they are a source of moral and religious light. 
The sun is the primary source of light to the natural world ; 
but there are other bodies from which we receive light, by 
the reflection of borrowed rays. In like manner, Jesus 
Christ is the light of the moral world ; but those who become 
His disciples, receive from Him a light, which they reflect 
on others. Jesus, therefore, says to them, " Ye are the light 
of the world : a city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. 
Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, 
but on a candlestick ; and it giveth light unto all that are in 
the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they 
may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is 
in heaven/' (Matt, 5 : 14-1 6.) 

2. That they quicken into spiritual life the world around 
them. If it were not for the influence of the sun upon our 
earth, it would be a frozen and unproductive globe ; but 
under his genial rays it is warmed into vegetative life, cloth- 
ing itself in beauty, and producing abundant harvests, to 
meet the wants of man and beast. It is thus, to some 
extent, that the lovers of God are exerting a vivifying and 
hallowing influence upon fallen humanity ; lifting it up into 
the light of heaven, and pointing it to " the Lamb of God, 
which taketh away the sin of the world." Their wholesome 
instruction, their godly example, and their fervent prayers 



PIETY AND ITS INFLUENCE. 425 

are all instrumentalities which God employs, to turn the 
wilderness of our wicked world into " a fruitful field." Sol- 
omon says, " He that walketh with wise men shall be wise." 
(Prov. 13 : 20.) 

3. That in their moral influence they have great power. 
They are like the sun, " when he goeth forth in his might." 
The sun is a forcible emblem of power and energy. David 
says, " He is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and 
rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. His going forth is 
from the end of heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it : 
and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof." (Psa. 19 : 
5, 6.) The sun is not only the centre of gravitation to the 
whole solar system ; but he exerts also a controlling influence 
over all the movements of this mighty machinery. The idea 
intended by the language of the text seems to be this ; that 
as the sun controls the natural world, so the lovers of God 
control, to some extent, the interests of the moral world. 

This subject suggests two lessons, by way of improvement, 
which, for our personal benefit, we will briefly notice. We 
have, 

1. A lesson of solemn responsibility. The question may 
be asked, in the spirit of infidelity, or of wicked indifference, 
"Am I my brother's keeper ? " but, however, some may be 
inclined to regard it, in the light of the Bible it must be 
answered in the affirmative. The same law that requires us 
to love God with all the heart, requires us, also, to love our 



426 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

neighbor as ourselves ; and hence it follows, that God will 
hold every man accountable for whatever he is able to do, in 
promoting the welfare of his fellow men. 

But whatever responsibility rests upon men in general, 
God calls upon those especially, to whom he has committed 
the treasure of saving grace, to be " workers together with 
Hiin," in saving our wicked world. He virtually says to 
every Christian, as He said to his ancient prophet, " I have 
set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel ; therefore, thou 
shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me. 
When I say unto the wicked, O, wicked man, thou shalt 
surely die ; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from 
his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity ; but his 
blood will I require at thine hand." (Ezek. 33 : 7, 8.) 

2. A lesson of encouragement. While it is the duty of 
every Christian to labor for the good of the race, it is a 
source of comfort and encouragement to know his labor shall 
not be in vain in the Lord. The work of saving the world 
so far as human instrumentality is concerned, is a work of 
faith, and hope, and love ; and he who possesses these ele- 
ments of Christian charccter, and is governed by them in 
practical life, cannot fail of success in his efforts to do good 
to mankind. To be instrumental in saving a single sinner is 
more meritorious in the sight of God, than all the glorious 
achievements of the great Macedonian conqueror. St. James 
says, " He which converteth a sinner from the error of his 
way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude 



PIETY AND ITS INFLUENCE. 427 

of sins." (James 5 : 20.) Truly, " he that winneth souls is 
wise." (Prov. 11 : 30. "And they that be wise shall shine 
as the brightness of the firmament ; and they that turn many 
to righteousness, as the stars for ever and ever." (Dan. 
12:3.) 

To what has been said, we add one closing thought. How 
blessed is the experience of those who love God, when they 
come to life's closing hour ! Like the sun, they have run 
their race ; and now, like him, they are about to pass away 
from our sensible horizon. But who has not gazed, with 
unspeakable delight, upon the glories that gather around the 
setting sun ? These are emblematic of the glory that often 
breaks upon the soul of the Christian, while he is passing 
away from earth. Good men may not all die rejoicing • 
but they may all die in peace. We believe, however, that 
triumph in death is not only an object of desire on the part 
of the pious, but one that may be expected on scriptural 
grounds. " The sting of death is sin ; and the strength of 
sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the 
victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (I. Cor. 15 : 56, 
56.) We have, in St. Paul's second letter to Timothy, what 
may be called his dying testimony. " I am now ready to be 
offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have 
fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept 
the faith : henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of 



428 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall 
give me at that day : and not to me only, but unto all them 
also that love his appearing." (II. Tim. 4 : 6-8.) 

11 The chamber where the good man meets his fate 
Is privileged beyond the common walks of virtuous life; 
Quite on the verge of heaven." 



Perpetuity of the Law, 



" Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no 
wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled" (Ifatt. 5 : 18.) 

The term law, in its proper sense, denotes some rule or 
principle, by which the voluntary actions of rational creatures 
are regulated ; and implies the will or command of a superior 
which an inferior is bound to obey. 

Laws are either human or Divine. Human laws are rules 
of civil or social conduct, prescribed by the supreme power of 
a State or community. Divine laws are the manifested will 
of God ; and are derived either from the nature of man, or 
from direct revelation. Thus the phrase signifies both nat- 
ural law and revealed law. 

Natural law is a rule of conduct arising out of the natural 
relations of human beings. Thus natural law requires that 
one man should not injure another. Murder and fraud 
would therefore be crimes, independent of any other law. 

Revealed law is that which is made known by means of the 
holy Scriptures, and is of three kinds ; political, ceremonial, 
and moral. 

The political laws which are contained in the Bible were 
designed for the government of the Jews, in their civil and 

429 



430 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

national capacity, and for the regulation of public justice ; 
while the ceremonial laws prescribed the external rites and 
ceremonies of their religion. 

Moral law is that which prescribes our duty to God, and 
to our fellow men ; a summary of which is contained in the 
Decalogue or ten commandments. It is to this law our Lord 
has reference in the text, and of which he declares it shall 
never pass away. 

The perpetuity of this law, as a ride of human life, will 
therefore constitute our present theme. In its discussion we 
will bring into view some theories that virtually abrogate 
the moral law ; and then present some arguments to establish 
its perpetutity. 

I. Theories which virtually abrogate the 
moral law. Among the religious theories that are liable 
to this charge, are 

1. Antinomianism. The term is derived from avn, against, 
and vo/iog, law ; against law. It assumes that, under the 
gospel dispensation, the law is not a rule of life to believers ; 
that obedience does not promote our salvation, nor does dis- 
obedience hinder it. In support of this theory the following 
scriptures are adduced. " Ye are not under the law, but 
under grace." (Rom. 6 : 14.) " Christ is the end of the law 
for righteousness, to every one that believeth." (Rom. 10 : 4.) 
" The law is not made for a righteous man, but for the law- 
less and disobedient." (I. Tim. 1 : 9.) Here it will be 
enough to say, that in these scriptures there is no license 



PEEPETUITY OF THE LAW. 431 

given to any inan, or class of men, to act contrary to the 
moral law ; that the passages are susceptible of a rational in- 
terpretation, in strict accord with the claims of the law as a 
rule of life ; and that the theory which they are quoted to 
support is contrary to the analogy of faith. 

2. Neonomianism. This theory takes its name from veog, 
new, and vo/iog, law ; a new law. It is the doctrine held by 
some, that in the economy of redemption God has so modified 
his moral government, that the claims of his laAv are fully 
met by sincere obedience. That sincerity is an essential ele- 
ment of true religion, we readily admit ; but that it is the 
fulfilling of the moral law, is no where taught in the Bible. 
Moreover, a man may be perfectly sincere in doing what is 
morally wrong, thinking at the same time that he is doing 
God's service. In proof of this, we may take the case of 
Saul of Tarsus. He says, " I verily thought with myself, 
that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus 
of Nazareth. Which things I also did in Jerusalem." (Acts 
26 : 9, 10.) So atrocious were the crimes which he committed 
in his persecuting zeal, that, according to his own judgment, 
they would have been unpardonable, had he not committed 
them " ignorantly in unbelief." 

3. The denial of man's moral agency and 'probationary 
state. If all the actions of men are so predetermined that 
they cannot be different from what they are, then all moral 
law, so far as we are concerned, is a nullity. And if man is 
not now in a state of trial, his destiny in the world to come 



432 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

can have no dependence upon his moral actions in the present 
life. Nor can we see, on this supposition, how he can be 
either rewardable or punishable, or how he can be, in any 
proper sense, a subject of moral government. Such a view 
of man's condition places him under the law of fatality, 
instead of being, as he really is, controlled as a free moral 
agent. 

II. Arguments in proof of the perpetuity of 
the law. Here we propose to notice, 

1. The direct testimony of Scripture. "Think not," said 
our Lord, "that I am come to destroy the law or the 
prophetts : I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For 
verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or 
one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be ful- 
filled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least 
commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called 
the least in the kingdom of heaven : but whosoever shall do 
and teach them, the same shall be called great in the king- 
dom of heaven." (Matt. 5 : 17-19.) St. Paul asks the ques- 
tion, " Do we then make void the law through faith ? " to 
which he makes the solemn reply, " God forbid : yea, we 
establish the law." (Rom. 3 : 32.) He asserts, moreover, 
that " the law is holy ; and the commandment holy, and just, 
and good." (Rom. 7 : 12.) 

2. The nature of the law itself. The moral precepts of 
the Bible differ, in their nature, from the ceremonial laws of 
the Jews. These, it is true, manifested the wisdom of God, 



PERPETUITY OF THE LAW. 433 

and were enforced by his sovereign authority ; but they were 
mere positive enactments, intended to regulate the religious 
services of a single nation, and that only for a limited period; 
and to be typical of a higher dispensation of grace. 

But the moral law is not an arbitrary rule of conduct ; it 
is a transcript of the Divine mind, having its foundation in 
those eternal principles of right, justice, goodness, and truth, 
which are involved in the moral character of God, and being 
a revealed embodiment of those principles, it follows there- 
fore, from the very nature of this law, that it is neither alter- 
able nor repealable ; but that it is a portion of that "word of 
God, which liveth and abideth for ever." 

3. The incorporation of the Decalogue with the Gospel of 
Christ. Jesus said to the rich young man that came to him 
for advice, " If thou wilt enter into life, keep the command- 
ments." And when the young man inquired, "Which ? Jesus 
said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit 
adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false 
witness ; Honor thy father and thy mother, and Thou shalt 
love thy neighbor as thy self." (Matt. 19 : 17-19.) Here 
our Lord recognizes the Decalogue as being included in the 
Gospel system, with all the force of a formal re-enactment. 

It would be easy to show that all the precepts of the moral 
law, even taken separately, are enjoined in the New Testa- 
ment Scriptures. They require the knowledge and worship 
of one living and true God. They forbid idolatry, and all 
kinds of profanity. They require children to honor and 

28 



434 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

obey their parents. They forbid murder, theft, adultery, 
covetousness, and the bearing of false witness. Thus we see, 
the Gospel contains the whole Decalogue by express injunc- 
tion, except the forth commandment ; nor is this an exception 
when rightly understood. It differs from the other nine 
only in its being partly moral and partly positive ; while 
they are purely moral. To appoint the seventh day as the 
weekly Sabbath of rest was a positive injunction, and there- 
fore liable to be changed ; but only by Divine authority. 
When God " blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it," He 
dedicated it to religious and moral ends, making it the 
memorial of His stupendous work of creation, and a meaus of 
perpetuating His knowledge and worship among men. 

The change of the Sabbath from the seventh to the first 
day of the week was evidently by apostolic authority, as 
might easily be shown ; but this did not change its nature, 
or abrogate any claims upon mankind, but rather broadens its 
signification. It is still a memorial of the creation of the 
world, while it becomes the memorial of that greater work, 
the world's redemption. 

"We close by observing, that while the Gospel contains all 
the precepts of the Decalogue ; it is the most complete and 
perfect revelation of moral law ever given to man. It pro- 
poses to regulate the heart, as well as the overt acts of the 
life. It is applied to a greater variety of duties than is the 
Decalogue. It is connected with "great and precious 
promises" of Divine help ; and the whole system is gloriously 
exemplified in the life of our Lord Jesus Christ. 



Peter's Fall and Recovery. 



" But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not ; and 
when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren." 
{Luke 22 : 32.) 

" No species of writing/' says a celebrated author, " seems 
more worthy of cultivation than biography, since none can 
be more delightful, or more useful." If this sentiment is 
true in relation to biography in general, it must be eminently 
true in regard to the biography of the Holy Scriptures. 
" For whatsoever things were written aforetime were Avrit- 
ten for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of 
the Scriptures might have hope." 

Sacred biography exhibits the virtues of holy men, that 
we may copy their example ; the vices of the ungodly, that 
we may see their deformity and avoid them ; and the defects 
and aberrations of those who profess to be the servants of 
God, that we may be taught to feel our own weakness and 
moral depravity, and that our sufficiency to do good is of 
God. 

In accordance with these views we bring before you an 
eventful and instructive period in the life of the apostle 
Peter. Without ascribing to him supremacy over his breth- 

435 



436 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

ren, as some have done, we are safe in saying that there were 
traits in his religions character, which are worthy of being 
admired and imitated by all Christians. It is not to these, 
however, that we are about to call your attention ; but to that 
melancholy event which cast a temporary cloud over the 
lustre of his distinguished virtues ; — Peter's grevious fall. 
This portion of sacred history cannot fail to impress upon 
every thoughtful heart the admonition of the apostle, " Let 
him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall." 

That we may bring this subject fully before you, we will 
consider the state of grace from which Peter fell ; the nature 
of his fall ; and his recovery. 

I. The state of grace from which Peter fell. 
The question to be answered here is this : AVas Peter, before 
his fall, a converted man ? Of this question Ave take the 
affirmative ; which, we think, is established by the following 
considerations : 

1. He was a true believer in Christ. On a certain occa- 
sion our Lord proposed this question to his disciples ; "Whom 
say ye that I am ? " Peter's ready reply was, " Thou art 
the Christ, the Son of the living God." Then Jesus replied, 
" Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona ; for flesh and blood hath 
not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in 
heaven." (Matt. 16:16, 17.) We have, in another place, a 
still more emphatic declaration of Peter's faith ; when lie 
said, " We believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the 
Son of the living God." (John 6 : 69.) Xow, nothing can 



peter's fall and recovery. 437 

be more Scriptural, than to believe that justification is conse- 
quent on the exercise of true faith in the true Messiah. St. 
John says, " Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son 
of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God." (I. John 
4:15.) 

2. He was ordained by Christ as a minister of the Gospel. 
Mark says, " And he ordained twelve, that they should be 
with him, and that he might send them forth to preach." 
(Mark 3:14.) Among these, Peter was one, and always at 
the head of the list. Can w r e suppose that he who knew 
the hearts of all men would solemnly commission unconverted 
men to preach his Gospel ? He tells us, " If the blind lead 
the blind, both shall fall into the ditch." (Matt. 15 : 14.) 

Our Lord, after ordaining the twelve, appointed seventy 
others, and sent them out two and two, to preach the word. 
They soon returned " with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils 
are subject unto us through Thy name." To this he replied, 
" Rejoice not that the spirits were subject unto you ; but 
rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven." 
(Luke 10 : 20.) Are we to suppose that the seventy whose 
" names were written in heaven " were a better class of men, 
than were the twelve whom our Lord selected and ordained 
to be His apostles ? Such a supposition would be derroga- 
tory to His character. If the names of the former " were 
written in heaven, so were the names of the latter. The fact 
is, Jesus Christ never sent an unconverted man to preach His 
Gospel, and He never will. 



438 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

3. He had 'power to work miracles and to cast out devils. 
" When He had called unto Him His twelve disciples, He 
gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, 
and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease." 
(Matt. 10 : 1.) That God could employ an unconverted 
man to perform a miraculous act, we will not deny ; but to 
say that he ever gave such a man power over unclean spirits, 
and to cast out devils, is most unreasonable, and somewhat 
kin to the charge made against our Lord by the Pharisees, 
that He cast out devils by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. 
Satan's kingdom is never divided against itself. 

4. The Scriptures prove that the apostles, while with their 
Master ', were converted men. He, in conversing with them, 
said, " If ye were of the world, the world would love his 
own ; but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen 
you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you." 
(John 15:19.) Here, to be " of the world," and to be 
" chosen out of the world," evidently mark the contrast 
between the unconverted and the people of God. In that 
sublime prayer which our Lord, shortly before his death, 
oifered to the Father, He uses the following language respect- 
ing His apostles : "I have manifested thy name unto the 
men which thou gavest me out of the world ; thine they 
were and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy 
word." (John 17:6.) This passage alone, if we believe 
the declaration of our Lord, proves that His apostles were 
then in a state of grace. They had been true worshippers of 



peter's fall and recovery. 439 

God before they became the apostles of Christ ; " Thine they 
were, and thou gavest them me ; " and they continued to be 
His faithful servants, for it is added, " they have kept thy 
word." 

That the preceding arguments prove the piety of Peter, 
previous to his fall, is what we heartily believe ; but as objec- 
tions have been raised to this view of the subject, we deem 
it proper to give them a passing notice. 

First, it is objected, that as Clirist said to Peter, " when 
thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren/' he could not 
then have been a converted man. This objection, however, 
is based upon a sandy foundation. It is true that the Greek, 
e7rtarpefag, here translated converted, sometimes means real 
conversion ; but it more frequently means to turn, to turn 
one's self, or to be turned, It is used to denote both a turn- 
ing from good to evil, and from evil to good. St. James 
uses the term in the sense of restore, or recover. If any of 
you do err from the truth, and one convert (eirtorpipj) him, let 
him know, that he which converteth (eTuoTp-tyag) the sinner 
from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and 
shall hide a multitude of sins." (James 5:19, 20.) Here 
the conversion spoken of is that of an erring brother, and 
answers precisely to the recovery of Peter from his fallen 
condition. 

Secondly, it is objected that our Lord's reproving address 
to Peter proves him to have been, at that time, in an uncon- 
verted state. " Get thee behind me, Satan ; thou art an 



440 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

offence unto me ; for thou savourest not the things that be of 
God, but those that be of men." (Matt. 16:23.) We 
admit that Zaravag sometimes designates Satan, the enemy of 
God and man ; but its primary meaning is an adversary, an 
opponent. That this is the sense in which it is applied to 
Peter, is evident from the context. Jesus had been telling 
the disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, suffer many 
things of the Jews, be killed, and be raised the third day. 
Then Peter, not comprehending clearly the plan of redemp- 
tion, and influenced by his ardent love for the Master, 
exclaimed, " Be it far from thee, Lord : this shall not be 
done unto thee." Our Lord's reply to Peter was somewhat 
caustic, but evidently called for. He gave him to know, 
that in the stand he had taken he had ignorantly arrayed 
himself against God, and on the side of the enemy ; that he 
did not understand the Divine plan of human redemption ; 
and that he was vainly dreaming of a temporal kingdom, as 
did the Jews generally. There is, therefore, nothing in the 
language on which the objection is based, to disprove the 
assertion that Peter was a converted man ; unless it can be 
shown that conversion saves men from all ignorance and 
error. We come now to consider, 

II. The nature of Peter's fall. There are several 
things connected with this unhappy event which demand our 
attention, and from which we may derive important lessons 
of instruction. We will notice, 



peter's fall and recovery. 441 

1. Its instrumental cause. The context shows that it 
was brought about by satanic agency. That the fallen and 
wicked spirit, here called Satan, has direct access to the 
human mind ; and that he has power to induce men to sin 
against God, are facts truly mysterious, and yet clearly 
established by the Bible. This infernal agent had tried his 
arts of seduction, in tempting our Lord, but had signally 
failed ; and now he comes, in a critical hoar, determined if 
possible, to destroy the disciples. Of this wicked purpose 
the Master, who knew all things, gave them faithful and 
timely warning. Addressing them through Peter, He said, 
" Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that 
he may sift you as wheat." Knowing, however, that none 
but Peter would be overcome by the tempter, and deny 
Him, He said to him exclusively, " I have prayed for thee, 
that thy faith fail not ; " or that it may not utterly fail ; " and 
when thou art converted/' or restored, " strengthen thy 
brethren." 

2. The successive steps of his defection. It is a remarka- 
ble fact, that though the history of Peter's fall embraces so 
short a period of time, it brings to light the common ele- 
ments of nearly all cases of backsliding from the service of 
God. His aberrant steps, though following one another in 
rapid succession, are distinctly marked ; and it will be well 
for us to examine the case carefully, that we may avoid the 
evils by which he was overtaken. We see, in this part of 
his history, 



442 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

1.) Unwarrantable self-confidence. When Jesus informed 
the disciples that they should all be offended because of him, 
and be scattered abroad ; Peter said, " Though all men be 
offended because of thee, yet will I not be offended." (Matt. 
26 : 33.) " I am ready to go with thee, both into prison and 
to death." (Luke 22 : 33.) We are never in so much dan- 
ger, as when we think all is " peace and safety." 

2.) Neglect of duty. Our Lord, with His disciples, on 
the night of His betrayal, retired to the garden' of Gethse- 
mane ; and selecting Peter, James, and John as witnesses of 
His extreme agony, He commanded them to watch with 
Him, while He withdrew a little distance from them to pray. 
But when He returned they were asleep ; and He said to 
Peter, who had been declaring so positively his allegiance to 
Christ, and intending, no doubt, to reprove them mildly, 
" What ! could ye not watch Avith me one hour?" (Matt. 
26 : 40.) The omission of duty is next door to actual trans- 
gression ; and if persevered in, will lead to the same end. 
Peter spoke from experience, as well as by inspiration, when 
he said, " Give diligence to make your calling and election 
sure ; for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall." (II. 
Pet. 1 : 10.) 

3.) Indulgence of sinful passions. "Then Simon Peter, 
having a sword, drew it, and smote the high priest's servant, 
and cut off his right ear." (John 18 : 10.) This rash act 
of Peter was evidently displeasing to the Master, as His 
language proves. " Put up again thy sword into his place ; 



443 

for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword." 
(Matt. 26 : 52.) It was in direct opposition to the spirit of 
the Gospel. Paul says, " Dearly beloved, avenge not your- 
selves, but rather give place unto wrath ; for it is written, 
vengeance is mine ; I will repay, saith the Lord." (Rom. 
12:19.) 

4.) A loss of attachment to Christ, and a want of zeal in 
his cause. No one of our Lord's disciple loved him more 
ardently, or derived more pleasure from his presence, than 
did Peter. No one of them manifested more zeal, or energy 
of character, in the promotion of his cause in the world. 
But now, when He had fallen into the hands of His enemies, 
who were clamoring for His death, and when He most 
needed the presence and sympathy of his friends, it is partic- 
ularly recorded of Peter, that he " followed him afar off." 
(Matt. 26 : 58.) The professing Christian who has lost his 
zeal for Christ and his cause, his attachment to the house of 
God, and his enjoyment in the means of grace, is nearing the 
vortex of total apostasy, whether he knows it or not. 

5.) Associating with unsuitable company. It might have 
been expected that the apostles, in this hour of trial, would 
be firmly united as a band of brothers, for mutual sympathy, 
advice, and defense ; but it did not so happen. When the 
Shepherd was smitten, the sheep were scattered. " Then all 
the disciples forsook Him, and fled." (Matt. 26 : 56.) 
Peter, instead of consorting with his brethren, takes his seat 
among the enemies of Christ — the servants of the high 



444 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

priest. " Woe to him that is alone when he falleth ; 
for he hath not another to help him up." (Eccle. 4 : 10.) 
He who voluntarily holds companionship with the enemies 
of Christ's religion, cannot himself live in the enjoyment of 
it. " Evil communications corrupt good manners." (I. Cor. 
15:33.) 

6.) Open Immortality, When Peter said to our Lord, 
" Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee," 
no one could have imagined, that in a few hours afterward 
he should be heard " to curse and to swear, saying, I know 
not the man." What a heart sickening view of fallen 
humanity does this brief history afford. " Peter, an apostle 
of Jesus Christ," denies his Lord and Master, and willingly 
gives himself up to falsehood and profanity. He who takes 
the first voluntary step in departing from God, knows not 
what may follow, nor where he shall end. 

It is with great pleasure, however, that we turn away from 
the question of Peter's fall, to the consideration, 

III. Of his restoration. This will lead us to notice 
the means, the characteristics, and the happy results of Peter's 
repentance. 

1. The means. " The Lord turned and looked upon 
Peter." (Luke 22 : 61.) The crowing of the cock at the 
break of day and the penitence of Peter are so closely con- 
nected in history, that many are led to suppose the former to 
have been the cause of the latter ; but this we are not quite 
willing to admit. It is true, the crowing reminded Peter of 



445 

what Jesus had said to him, " Before the cock crow twice, 
thou shalt deny me thrice." But to remember our sins, to 
feel the lashings of a guilty conscience, or even to weep for 
our evil doings, is not repentance unto life. Judas, the 
betrayer of our Lord, " repented himself," or deeply regretted 
what he had done ; " saying, I have sinned in that I have 
betrayed the innocent blood." So perfectly was he over- 
whelmed with remorse of conscience and sorrow of heart, that 
he chose to die rather than to live. When the cock crew, 
Jesus, on whom the eye of Peter had been attentively fixed, 
" turned, and looked upon " his fallen disciple. It was that 
look that carried quickening grace to Peter's heart. While 
it was a look of reproof, it was one of pity, mercy, and 
infinite love. 

2. Its characteristics. His repentance was strongly 
marked by two distinct facts. 

1.) It was sudden. He had secured his fall by a rapid 
succession of erring steps, all taken in a single night ; but as 
soon as he had caught the penetrating eye of his dishonored 
and injured Master, he at once left the crowd to weep alone, 
and to " make humble confession to Almighty God." The 
time involved in religious changes depends somewhat on the 
natural disposition or temperament of the subject. Peter, 
being warm and impulsive in his disposition, was always 
ready to adopt or reject whatever was presented to his mind, 
and act accordingly. His motto seems to have been this; 
" Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might." 
(Eccle. 9 : 10.) 



446 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

2.) It was deep and pungent. He not only wept, but 
" wept bitterly/' If there was any proportion between the 
enormity of Peter's crime and his penitential sorrow, it must 
have been bitter indeed. True repentance is always bitter 
repentance. The Psalmist's description of it is very forcible : 
."The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell 
gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow." (Psa. 116 : 3.) 
It was bitter repentance that the publican experienced, when 
he " smote upon his breast, saving, God be merciful to me a 
sinner." (Luke 18 : 13.) 

3.) Its happy results. From the time that Peter left the 
palace of the high priest, as a weeping penitent, till after our 
Lord's resurrection, nothing is heard of him ; but we have 
abundant proof that he was both restored to the favor of God, 
and was made a blessing to the Church and the world. 
Jesus virtually predicted Peter's recovery when he said to 
him, " I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not." It 
was, perhaps, a recollection of this gracious declaration, that 
kept him, during his fallen condition, from sinking into abso- 
lute despair ; and inclined him still to consort with the other 
apostles, as a disciple of Christ. 

It was not, however, until the third time of our Lord's 
appearing to his apostles, that Peter received any assurance 
of pardon. This was in Galilee, at the sea of Tiberias, 
where seven of the disciples were employed in fishing ; of 
whom Peter was one. After they had breakfasted together, 
Jesus said to Peter, " Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me 



peter's fall and recovery. 447 

more than these ? " This question reminded him, no doubt, 
of what he had declared on the night of Christ's betrayal ; 
" Though all men be offended because of thee, yet will I not 
be offended ; " which seemed to imply, that his love for the 
Master was stronger than that of his brethren. But now, 
instead of seeming to compare himself with others, he 
humbly replies, " Thou knowest that I love thee." As 
Peter had thrice denied his Lord, so the question was thrice 
proposed to him, "Lovest thou me?" He was grieved, 
because this question had been so often repeated ; but he had 
the happiness to know that he was restored to the approval 
of his Lord and Master ; that he was called anew to follow 
him ; and that he was recommissioned to feed his flock. 

Peter's restoration was made a great blessing to the church 
and the world. Our Lord predict! vely said to him, " AVhen 
thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren." He gave 
strength and success to the cause of the Redeemer, 

1.) By his energy and zeal in 'proclaiming the Gospel. 
The sermon he preached on the day of Pentecost ; after he 
had been endued with power from on high, was one never to 
be forgotten. Thousands were slain by the sword of the 
Spirit, as wielded by Peter ; crying out, " Men and brethren, 
what shall we do ? " 

2.) By his general epistles. These were sent to the scat- 
tered Jewish Christians throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappa- 
docia, Asia, and Bithynia ; and their contents prove, that the 
leading design of the writer was to strengthen the brethren. 



448 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

3.) By his example. This calls our attention to his 
unwearied diligence in the service of Christ ; his patient en- 
durance of persecution and suffering ; his uninterrupted 
steadfastness in the faith ; and his unyielding fortitude, in 
bearing the death of the cross for the sake of his Lord and 
Master. 



Faith in God 



" Have faith in God. (Mark 11 : 22.) 

There was a time in the history of man, when life was sus- 
pended upon perfect obedience to the law of God ; the cove- 
nant then being, " Do this, and live." But man, in his fallen 
condition, is incapable of rendering to God the obedience 
which His law requires. He must, therefore, either incur 
the penalty of the law, or obtain life on some other condi- 
tion than that of works ; " for it is written, cursed is every 
one that continueth not in all things which are written in 
the book of the law to do them." It follows, therefore, 
that " by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified 
in " the sight of God. 

The great question, then, with which every child of Adam 
is deeply concerned is this ; " How can man be justified with 
God ? " Here we pause for a moment, and wait for an 
answer ; but do we wait in vain ? No ; we hear Jesus say- 
ing, " God so loved the world, that He gave His only begot- 
ten Son ; that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, 
but have everlasting life." We see, therefore, that the law 
of faith, as the condition of salvation, is substituted for the 
law of works. This fact is clearly expressed by St. Paul. 

29 

449 



450 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

" To him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justi- 
fieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." 
If, then, we are saved by faith, if saved at all, as the Scrip- 
tures clearly teach, we see the propriety of our Lord's exhor- 
tation in the text : " Have faith in God." We propose, First, 
To offer some remarks on the nature of faith in general ; and, 
Secondly, To consider the properties of that faith which is 
necessary to salvation. 

I. We will offer some remarks on the nature 
of faith in general. The Greek word, irUmg, in the 
New Testament, which our translators have rendered faith, 
means " belief, firm persuasion of the truth and veracity of 
any one ; assurance, confidence, trust." Faith, therefore, is a 
firm persuasion of the truth of a proposition, on the ground 
of evidence ; and, by evidence we mean whatever tends to 
establish the truth of a proposition. 

There are various kinds of evidence by which human 
knoAvledge is gained, and propositions are established. We 
have the evidence of sense, of consciousness, of reason, and of 
testimony. It is the evidence of testimony alone which pro- 
duces faith, in its strictest acceptation ; and this faith is more 
pure and genuine, in proportion as the proposition believed 
lacks credibility in itself, and rests solely upon the veracity 
of the testifier. It was this fact that so eminently distin- 
guished the faith of Abraham. When God gave him the 
promise of a numerous offspring, nothing could have been 



FAITH IN GOD. 451 

more unlikely ; but "he staggered not at the promise of God 
through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to 
God." (Rom. 4 : 20.) 

The utility of faith in the promotion of human happiness, 
is worth our careful consideration. If we were entirely des- 
titute of a capacity to gain knowledge by means of testimony, 
we never could know any thing external to ourselves, except 
by sensation and a process of reasoning. Such a mental con- 
stitution would prevent us from gaining any knowledge of 
thousands of facts and truths with which we are now con- 
versant ; and which compose some of the most interesting 
pages in the history of life. 

It is on the ground of testimony alone, and, therefore, by 
faith, that we know God created the world ; that He 
formed man from the dust of the earth ; that He redeemed 
fallen man by the gift of His Son ; and that He has pro- 
vided a glorious home for His servants beyond the grave. 
But, in showing the importance of belief in testimony, we 
may come nigher home. Many of us never saw the city of 
London, of Glasgow, or of Paris ; and yet, we are as sure 
that these cities exist, as if we had seen them and walked 
their streets. None of the present generation ever saw 
General Washington ; but every one knows that he was 
commander-in-chief of our military forces, in the revolution- 
ary war. How is this known ? We answer by faith, or by 
believing testimony. Indeed, this is the only means by 
which we can know when and where we were born, and who 
our parents were. 



452 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

Faith or belief is associated with almost every operation 
of the human mind. If we are conscious of our own 
thoughts, we must necessarily believe that we think ; if we 
perceive an object, we must believe that it exists ; and if we 
remember a past event, we must believe that the event took 
place. Hence, belief is inseparably connected with con- 
sciousness, perception, and memory. To this it may be 
added, that belief lies at the foundation of nearly all our 
passions. Thus, for example, love and hatred, joy and sor- 
row, hope and fear, owe their existence to the belief, that in 
their objects there are certain qualities. 

Having presented the foregoiug thoughts in relation to the 
general character of faith, we come now to a more particular 
investigation of its nature. This will lead us to make the 
following remarks : 

1. Faith implies a previous knowledge of the truth to be 
believed. It must be evident to every one, that in order to 
exercise a rational faith, we must clearly understand the 
terms of the proposition which claims our belief. Hence, 
knowledge has been regarded by many, as an antecedent act 
of faith. There is, therefore, great propriety in the ques- 
tion of the man who had been healed of his native blindness, 
when our Lord said to him, " Dost thou believe on the Son 
of God ? He answered and said, Who is He, Lord, that I 
might believe on Him ? " (John 9 : 35, 36.) A proposition 
to be believed may be either directly expressed, or only 
implied. Of the former we have an example in our Lord's 



FAITH IN GOD. 453 

declaration to the nobleman of Capernaum : " Thy Son 
liveth." (John 4 : 50.) When, however, He said to the 
blind man, " Go, wash in the pool of Siloam," He did not 
tell him that in so doing he should receive sight ; but this 
proposition was implied, and was so understood by the blind 
man. "-He went his way, therefore, and washed, and came 
seeing." (John 9:7.) 

2. Faith implies evidence. No man can believe a propo- 
sition without evidence, either real or supposed ; nor can any 
one withhold his assent to a proposition, which according to 
his judgment, is sustained by evidence. Belief, therefore, is 
the natural and necessary result of evidence, whenever such 
evidence is apprehended by the mind ; for it is impossible 
that anyone should believe a proposition to be both true and 
false at the same time. 

To this view of faith it may be objected, that, if a man 
cannot believe without evidence, and if belief is the natural 
and necessary result of evidence, it will follow, either that no 
man ever believed a falsehood, or that falsehood is sometimes 
supported by evidence ; neither of which can be allowed. 
We answer : It is evident that men often believe what is 
false ; and it is equally evident that falsehood cannot be sup- 
ported by real evidence; otherwise the distinction between 
truth and error would be destroyed. But these facts are in 
perfect harmony with what we have stated. Thus, a man's 
judgment, through some improper bias, may decide in favor 
of a proposition for which there is really no evidence ; but we 



454 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

must make a distinction between what is really evidence and 
what is supposed to be evidence. A man may take that for 
evidence which is really no evidence at all, and by this means 
be led into the belief of error. On the other hand, a propo- 
sition may be true, and susceptible of the clearest proof; but 
from some cause or other its truthfulness may not be appre- 
hended. It is worthy of remark, too, that the imperfections 
and perverse dispositions of our fallen nature often stand in 
the way of an impartial examination of evidence. Every 
one knows that it requires stronger evidence to convince a 
man of the truth of a proposition which he is disinclined to 
believe, than one which he wishes to be true. 

3. Faith always operates according to the truth believed. 
By this we mean that the object of faith, or in other words, 
what avc believe, acting on the mind through faith, produces 
an effect corresponding to its own nature. Thus, joy and 
sorrow, hope and fear, result, not from the simple fact of 
believing, but from what is believed. If the subject pro- 
posed is deemed of importance it 'will, when believed, excite 
emotion, and perhaps prompt to action, if that be necessary ; 
which action is the fruit and external evidence of faith. 
"When God revealed to Noah his determination to destroy 
the world by water, and commanded him to prepare an ark, 
as the means of saving himself and family, he was " moved 
with fear." This was the emotion which his faith produced ; 
and he " prepared an ark to the saving of his house ; " which 
was the action consequent on his faith. (Heb. 11 : 7.) When 



FAITH IN GOD. 455 

Jonah proclaimed, " Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be 
overthrown," the people believed the message of the prophet; 
and being moved to penitential sorrow, they " proclaimed a 
fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to 
the least of them." (Jonah 3 : 4.) It is said of those who 
believed the preaching of Peter on the day of Pentecost, that 
" they were pricked in their hearts, and said unto Peter and 
to the rest of the apostles, men and brethren, what shall we 
do?" (Acts 2: 37.) 

4. Faith may exist in different degrees. It may be more 
or less extensive in regard to its objects ; and it may vary in 
its degrees of strength, in relation to the same object. Our 
Lord said to His disciples, " O ye of little faith." (Matt. 
6 : 30.) So St. Paul speaks of " him that is weak in the 
faith" (Rom. 14 : 1.) On the other hand, Jesus said of 
the centurion's faith, " I have not found so great faith, no, 
not in Israel." (Matt. 8 : 10.) Again, addressing the 
woman of Canaan, He said, a O woman, great is thy faith" 
(Matt. 15 : 28.) Here we see that faith is spoken of as being 
in some cases little or weak, and in others great. It follows, 
therefore, that faith admits of different degrees. Accordingly 
the disciples prayed, " Lord, increase our faith." (Luke 
17 : 5.) And St. Paul, in speaking of the gospel, says, "For 
therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to 
faith ; " or, from one degree of faith to another. 

II. The properties of that faith which is nec- 
essary to salvation. Though much is said in the Bible 



456 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

in regard to faith, there is only one passage in which it is 
particularly defined; and this is Hebrews 11:1. "Now 
faith is the substance of things hoped for ; the evidence of 
things not seen." In view of this fact it will be proper 
to examine, with all possible care, the terms in which the 
definition is expressed. 

The word birooraotQ {hupotasis,) which is translated substance, 
literally means some thing placed under; a basis or founda- 
tion; but in a metaphorical sense, as here employed, it means 
certain persuasion, implicit confidence, assured expectation, 
confident anticipation. AVe take the last, confident antici- 
pation, to be the true import of the word in the passage 
before us. 

The term eheyxo?, (elenchos,) rendered evidence, means, 
primarily, whatever serves to convince, or confute ; an argu- 
ment, proof, or demonstration ; but when used metonymically 
it means refutation, conviction, firm persuasion. We believe 
the last to be the meaning of the original term. The apostle's 
definition, therefore, may be formulated thus : Faith is the 
confident anticipation of things hoped for ; the firm persua- 
sion of things not seen. To say that faith is " the evidence 
of things not seen/' taking the word evidence in its common 
and true sense, is virtually to say that an effect and its cause 
may be the same thing ; which would be absurd. That evi- 
dence is the cause of faith, and faith the effect of evidence, 
no one can deny. The term must therefore be taken in a 
figurative sense, the cause being put for the effect ; meaning 



FAITH IN GOD. 457 

that faith is the result of evidence, regarding "things not 
seen." We Avill now proceed to consider, more particularly, 
the essential properties of that faith which secures salvation. 

1. Saving faith is based upon Divine truth. St. Paul 
tells us that the gospel " is the power of God unto salvation 
to every one that believeth." (Rom. 1 : 16.) Again, in 
addressing the Thessalonians he says, "God hath from the 
beginning chosen you to salvation, through sanctification of 
the Spirit and belief of the truth:' (II. Thess. 2 : 13.) Our 
Lord, after praying particularly for his apostles, adds this ; 
" Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which 
shall believe on me through their word." (John 17 : 20.) St. 
John, after declaring that Jesus had done many things 
which he had not written in his book, says, " But these are 
written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son 
of God • and that believing ye migJit have life through His 
name." (John 20: 31.) These Scriptures, to which others 
of like import might be added, fully sustain the apostle's 
doctrine, that, "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the 
word of God." (Rom. 10:17.) 

While the Scriptures propose to us truths to be believed, 
they also afford the evidence on which a rational faith may 
be founded. This will appear from the following passages : 
" If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But 
if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works ; that 
ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I 
in Him." (John 10 : 37, 38.) " How shall we escape if we 



458 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

neglect so great salvation, which at the first began to be 
spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed by them that heard 
Him ; God also bearing them witness, both with sigDs and 
wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy 
Ghost, according to His own will." (Heb. 2 : 3, 4.) Again, 
Peter says, a AYe have not followed cunningly devised fables, 
when we made known unto you the power and coming of our 
Lord Jesus Christ, but were eye witnesses of His Majesty. 
For He received from God the Father, honor and glory, 
when there came such a voice to Him from the excellent 
glory, this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." 
(II. Peter 1 : 16, 17.) These Scriptures prove that God, in 
His gracious providence, has revealed to us both the truths 
which we are required to believe, and the evidence by which 
they are sustained ; so that saving faith is not a blind con- 
clusion or persuasion of the mind, but a firm belief, based 
on evidence. 

2. Saving faith is something more than a mere intellectual 
assent to Divine truth. AVe admit that intellectual assent is 
included in justifying faith, and that without it justifying 
faith cannot exist ; but that it is, in itself, the faith by which 
sinners are justified before God, is Avhat we deny. So far is 
this from being the fact, that moral creatures may possess a 
high degree of intellectual assent to Divine truth, though 
involved in sin, and enemies to God. It will not be denied 
that even fallen angels believe in the existence and true char- 
acter of the Messiah. Thus the demoniac of Gadara, or 



FAITH IN GOD. 459 

rather the unclean spirit speaking by Him," cried with a 
loud voice, and said, what have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou 
Son of the most high God?" (Mark 5:7.) On another 
occasion an evil spirit addressed our Lord as "Jesus of Naza- 
reth" and added, " I know thee who thou art, the Holy One 
of God." (Luke 4 : 34.) St. James asserts of devils, as a 
class of moral creatures, that they " believe and tremble" 
(James 2:19.) Justification, therefore, does not necessarily 
follow an intellectual assent to Divine truth. 

It is evident, moreover, that men, as well as devils, may 
believe in Christ, and in Divine truth, without becoming 
subjects of justifying grace. St. John tells us that " among 
the chief rulers many believed on " Jesus," but because of 
the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be 
put out of the synagogue ; for they loved the praise of men 
more than the praise of God." (John 12:42,43.) Of 
Simon Magus it is asserted that he " believed" and that he 
" was baptized," thus openly professing his faith in Christ ; 
but afterwards Peter said to him, " Thy heart is not right in 
the sight of God ; thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in 
the bond of iniquity." (Acts 8 : 21-23.) St. Paul, in his 
defense before Agrippa, said, " King Agrippa, believest thou 
the prophets? I know that thou believest" (Acts 26 : 27.) 
It is clearly shown, by these instances, that the faith which 
secures " peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ," 
is more than a mere intellectual assent to Divine truth. 



460 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

3. Saving jaith implies a full consent of the will, to the 
Gospel plan of salvation. We are everywhere addressed in 
the word of God as voluntary agents. God says to all, " If 
ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land ; 
but if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be destroyed with the 
sword ; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." (Isa. 
1 : 19, 20.) Jesus says, "If any man will come after me, 
let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." 
(Matt. 16:24.) When the Ethiopian eunuch desired to be 
baptized, Philip said, "if thou believest with all thine heart, 
thou mayest." (Acts 8: 37.) So St. Paul testifies, that 
" with the heart man believeth unto righteousness." (Rom. 
10 : 10.) It follows, therefore, that true and saving faith 
implies an enlistment of the whole heart, the will and the 
affections, in the cause of God. 

It is said of a certain young man who came to our Lord, 
saying, " Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I 
may have eternal life?" that " he went aioay sorrowful)" 
but why ? Doubtless, because he was not willing to comply 
with the conditions which Christ proposed. In like manner, 
those " chief rulers " among the Jews who believed on Christ, 
but did not confess him, were unwilling to make the sacri- 
fices which His religion required ; and consequently, they 
could not exercise justifying faith. It is to such our Lord 
refers when He says, " Whosoever, therefore, shall be 
ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful 
generation, of him also shall the son of man be ashamed, 



FAITH IX GOD. 461 

when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy 
angels." (Mark 8 : 38.) Thus it is evident that saving 
faith requires a voluntary and full dedication of ourselves to 
God. 

4. Saving faith implies also an unshaken trust in God. 
This trust refers to whatever is revealed or asserted on 
Divine authority, whether it relates to the past, the present, 
or the future. The Scriptures prove that the faith which 
God requires of men always includes trust or reliance, as 
well as persuasion and consent. The faith by which " the 
elders obtained a good report " was clearly of this character, 
uniting a noble confidence in the word of God with an assent 
to the truth of his declarations. " Our fathers trusted in 
Thee," said David, " they trusted in Thee, and Thou didst 
deliver them." (Psa. 22 : 4.) This is the kind of faith that 
was exercised by Abraham when " he went out, not knowing 
whither he went ; " when " he believed in the Lord, and he 
counted it to him for righteousness ; and when he obeyed 
the Divine command, in virtually offering up " his only 
begotten son," as a sacrifice to God.* This faith, too, pious 
Job possessed, when he said of God, " Though He slay me, 
yet will I trust in Him.." (Job 13 : 15.) The Psalmist, in 
characterizing a good man, says, " His heart is fixed, trust- 
ing in the Lord." (Psa. 112 : 7.) 

The same view of this subject is presented in the New Test- 
ament Scriptures. " When our Lord said to His disciples, 



Gen. 15:6. Heb. 11:8-17. 



462 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

" Have faith in God," He did not question their belief in 
His existence, but exhorted them to confide or trust in His 
promises. He, therefore, adds, " Whosoever shall say unto 
this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the 
sea ; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that 
those things which he saith shall come to pass ; he shall have 
whatsoever he saith." (Mark 11 : 22, 23.) It was in refer- 
ence to the centurion's simple trust in the power of Christ 
that He so highly commended him, saying, " I have not 
found so great faith, no, not in Israel." (Matt. 8 : 10.) In 
all the instances in which persons were miraculously healed 
by Christ, their faith was also of this kind. It was belief 
in His claims, and trust in His power and goodness. 

That faith in Christ which is connected with salvation is 
clearly of this nature. He is set forth, both to Jews and Gen- 
tiles, as a propitiation " through faith in His blood," which 
faith cannot mean a mere assent, either to the historical fact 
that His blood was shed by a violent death, or to the doc- 
trine that it possesses an atoning quality ; but as all expia- 
tory offerings, both among Jews and Gentiles, were trusted 
in as the means of propitiation, so now we are to trust exclu- 
sively in the blood of Christ as the meritorious cause of our 
salvation. Thus it is written, " In His name shall the Gen- 
tiles trust." (Matt. 12:21.) St. Paul, in addressing the 
Ephesians, says, " In whom ye also trusted, after that ye 
heard the word of truth." (Eph. 1 : 13.) To Timothy he 
writes, " We both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust 



FAITH IN GOD. 463 

in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of 
them that believe." (I. Tim. 4 : 1 0.) This firm and unshaken 
trust in God is the crowning exercise in justifying faith. It 
is by this act of trust that the humble penitent casts himself 
upon the mercy of God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, and 
claims the blessing of pardon ; a trust which is exercised 
according to the authority and directions of the word of God. 
To know the gospel in its leading principles, to assent to its 
truths, and to comply with its injunctions, are necessary, 
therefore, to that more specific act of faith which is called 
trust or reliance. 

Here the question may be asked, is saving faith the gift of 
God ? We answer: There is one sense in which it is the 
gift of God, and another, in which it is not. It is His gift in 
the same sense in which He gives a harvest to the husband- 
man. He created the soil and the seed ; He controls the sea- 
sons of seed time and harvest ; He gives to the farmer mental 
and physical ability to perform his necessary labor ; and He 
supplies the sunshine and showers, through the influence of 
which a harvest is brought to maturity, and ready for the 
sickle. In like manner, God has made us, though fallen and 
sinful, capable of receiving truth by faith ; He has revealed to 
to us a redeeming plan which, if believed, will secure to us 
eternal life ; and He has given us His Holy Spirit to enable us 
to repent and believe the Gospel. If, therefore, we are saved, 
it is " through the faith of the operation of God." (Col. 
2:12.) 



464 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

But saving faith is not the immediate gift of God, as the 
manna was to the Israelites in the wilderness ; which was 
bestowed upon them directly from heaven, without the inter- 
vention of human agency. This not the kind of faith that 
the Scriptures require ; for, if faitli is not, in some sense, 
under the control of human agency, it would be absurd to 
exhort any one to believe, or blame liim for unbelief. That 
we cannot exercise saving faith without Divine help, is no 
reason why we should not make an effort to believe. It is 
in the effort to do what is commanded that the help is to be 
expected. When Jesus said to the man with the withered 
hand, " Stretch forth thine hand ; " without hesitation he 
made the effort, " and it was restored whole, like as the 
other." (Matt. 12:13.) 



Thanksgiving, 



" Offer unto God thanksgiving" (Psalm 50 : 14.) 

A consciousness of dependence upon some superior being 
enters, in a greater or less degree, into the experience of every 
rational human being, whether civilized or savage ; and thus 
is laid, in the very constitution of our nature, a foundation for 
Divine worship coextensive with the wide spread family of 
man. It was in view of this universal feeling that a certain 
philosopher, in defining man, declares him to be " a religious 
animal." 

We should not lose sight of the fact, however, that while 
the heathen recognize the truth to some extent, that " we are 
all the offspring of God," it is only where divine revelation 
sends forth its direct and cheering beams, that men become 
properly acquainted with the Author of their being, and the 
various relations which they sustain to Him. In the blessed 
volume of God's inspiration we are taught, not only that our 
being is of Divine origin, but that our well being also, in 
whatever respect we contemplate it, flows from the fountain 
of Divine goodness. " Every good gift and every perfect 
gift is from above ; and cometh down from the Father of 
Lights." 

30 

465 



466 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

The goodness of God, which is so wonderfully exercised 
toward us, lays us under the most binding obligations possi- 
ble, to love Him and to keep His commandments. It was a 
sight of this that so affected the heart of pious David, when 
he exclaimed, " What shall I render unto the Lord for all 
his benefits toward me ? " It is because " the Lord is good 
to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works," that he 
calls upon us, in the language of the text, to " offer unto God 
thanksgiving." 

In the discussion of the subject before us, we will notice 
both the nature of the duty enjoined, and our obligations to 
perform it. 

I. The nature of the duty enjoined. "Offer unto 
God thanksgiving." This duty may be defined to be, " the 
act of expressing gratitude for Divine favors." Two things 
are therefore implied in offering thanksgiving to God ; a con- 
sciousness of gratitude to Him, and a suitable expression 
of this feeling. It implies 

1. A consciousness of gratitude to God. By gratitude is 
meant, that agreeable emotion of the heart, which is excited 
by the reception of benefits graciously bestowed. True grati- 
tude to God, as our gracious Benefactor, includes, 

1.) A proper appreciation of the benefits which He bestows 
upon us. We are very much inclined to overlook, or under- 
value many of the common blessings of Divine Providence ; 
because they are so common, and so frequently bestowed. 
How prone are we to regard the constant rising of the sun ; 



THANKSGIVING. 467 

the descent of fruitful showers upon the earth ; the regular 
succession of summer and winter, and of seed time and 
harvest ; the health that we enjoy, and the protraction of our 
life ; the facilities which we possess for bodily sustenance, and 
for mental and moral improvement ; and a thousand other 
blessings, as the mere operations of nature, for which no 
special return of thanksgiving is required. But if every 
good and perfect gift is from above, it is only when we 
recognize the hand of God in all our blessings, that we can be 
truly grateful. 

2.) Gratitude to God requires that we should hold in 
memory the benefits of which we are made the partakers. 
When God delivered the Israelites from their cruel bondage ; 
when he supplied their wants in the wilderness, giving them 
water from the rock, and bread from heaven ; and when he 
sent them, borne upon the wings of the wind, flesh to satisfy 
their craving aj)petite ; then were they thankful, pledging 
themselves to the service of God. But alas for them ! 
" They forgat His works, and His wonders that He had 
showed them. They remembered not His hand, nor the day 
when He delivered them from the enemy." (Psa. 78 : 11, 42.) 
How very different was the experience of David ! He could 
say, " I will remember the works of the Lord ; surely I will 
remember thy wonders of old. I will meditate also of thy 
work, and talk of thy doings." (Psa. 77 : 11, 12.) Again, 
" Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits." 
(Psa. 103 : 2.) In the language of a certain author, "He that 



468 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

falsely denies the reception of a benefit, or he that dissembles 
it, or he that will not repay it, is ungrateful ; but most un- 
grateful of all is he who forgets it." 

3.) Gratitude to God includes a consciousness of our 
unwor-thiness of His benefits. Without this, indeed, there can 
be no gratitude ; for, he who supposes himself to be worthy 
of what he receives, regards it rather as a debt and therefore 
receives it without thankfulness. Jacob expressed the feelings 
of a grateful heart, when he said before God, "I am not 
worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, 
which thou hast showed unto thy servant." (Gen. 32 : 10.) 
The centurion said to our Lord, " I am not worthy that 
thou shouldest come under my roof." (Matt, 8 : 8.) 

4.) Gratitude to God carries with it a love for Him as 
our gracious Benefactor. The exercise of beneficence has a 
natural tendency to produce, in the mind of the beneficiary, 
veneration and love for the benefactor ; and the more fre- 
quent and valuable the benefactions are, the stronger will 
this veneration and love become. If this view of the sub- 
ject is sound philosophy, our love to God, on whom we are 
every hour dependent, and from whom all good is derived, 
should be the ruling principle of our life. There are some, we 
know, who hold the doctrine, that we should love God alone 
for what He is ; and that to love Him on account of what 
He does for us, is mercenary and unacceptable. We will 
not now entertain this question by way of controversy ; but 
we will simply remark, that, though God is infinitely worthy 



THANKSGIVING. 469 

of our love for what He is in Himself, it is nevertheless true, 
that it is consistent with both our moral nature and the 
teachings of the Scriptures, that we should love God on 
account of His goodness toward us. The Psalmist says, 
" I love the Lord, because He heard my voice and my sup- 
plications." (Psa. 116:1.) And St. John says, " We love 
Him, because He first loved us." (I. John 4:19.) 

2. Thanksgiving implies a suitable expression of our grate- 
ful feelings toward God. There are various ways in which 
such an expression may be given. We may declare our 
gratitude, 

1.) In grateful language. Where the feeling of gratitude 
has its seat in the heart, it will generally manifest itself in 
the language of the tongue : " for out of the abundance of 
ihe heart the mouth speaketh." One of the most delightful 
ways of expressing our gratitude to God is in songs of praise. 
We may well imagine the feelings of the Psalmist's heart, 
when he declared, " I will sing of the mercies of the Lord 
forever j with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness 
to all generations." (Psa. 89 : 1.) And again, " I will extol 
Thee, my God, O King ; and I will bless thy name for ever 
and ever." (Psa. 145 : 1.) 

In the providence of God, the world has been favored with 
a succession of Christian poets, who have put into verse 
almost every feature of Gospel truth and Christian expe- 
rience. Many of these songs of Zion, when associated with 
the charms of melody, and harmony, are so inspiring to the 



470 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

better feelings of the human heart, and so forcibly lift the 
soul heavenward, that Ave can sentimentally declare, in the 
language of Dr. Watts : 

" My willing soul would stay 
In such a frame as this, 
And sit and sing herself away 
To everlasting bliss." 

2.) We may express gratitude to God by a return of grate- 
ful conduct. The grateful man will, when it is in his power, 
return some compensation for benefits received. It is true, 
we cannot render to God any compensation proportional to 
his unmerited favors ; nor does He stand in need of our ser- 
vices. But in as much as He claims our homage, and has a 
just right to our obedience, it would be ungrateful in us to 
withhold from Him the service due. St. Paul said to his 
Corinthian brethren, what is true of all, " Ye are not your 
own, for ye are bought with a price; therefore glorify Gcd 
in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's/' (I. Cor. 
6 : 20.) 

But though we cannot benefit God, we may benefit our 
fellow men ; and our Lord has taught us, that He regards 
any kind office that may be done to one of His disciples, 
as being done to Himself. Here a wide field lies open before 
us, in which we may declare our gratitude to God, by feed- 
ing the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick, sup- 
porting the weak, and dealing tenderly with widows and 
fatherless children. Nor can this field be judiciously culti- 



THANKSGIVING. 471 

vated without profit to ourselves. " He that hath pity on the 
poor, lendeth unto the Lord ; and that which he hath given 
will He repay him again." (Prov. 19:17.) " To do good 
and to communicate, forget not ; for with such sacrifices God 
is well pleased." (Heb. 13 : 16.) 

3.) Gratitude to God may also be expressed by united pub- 
lic acknowledgements. Gatherings of this kind, and for this 
purpose, were frequent among God's ancient people, the 
Jews. Take, for example, their three great annual festivals : 
the Passover, Pentecost, and the feast of Tabernacles. 

The Passover, or as it was sometimes called, u the Feast 
of Unleavened Bread," was a solemn feast among the He- 
brews, commencing on the fourteenth, and ending on the 
twenty-first of the month Abib ; the first month of their 
ecclesiastical year. As a commemorative rite it was intended 
to preserve among them a grateful sense of their deliverance 
from Egyptian bondage, and of the protection of their first- 
born, when the destroying angel put to death all the first-born 
of Egypt. As a type, it was designed to shadow forth the 
sufferings and death of Christ, for the redemption of the 
world from the bondage of sin. 

Pentecost was one of the great Jewish festivals ; and was 
so called, because it was celebrated on the fiftieth day after 
the feast of the Passover. It was instituted to commemo- 
rate the giving of the law, which took place on the fiftieth 
day after the Israelites left Egypt ; and it was observed as a 
day of national thanksgiving to God, for the maturing har- 



4 72 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

vest. It was also called the feast of weeks, because it was 
observed at the end of seven weeks from the third day of the 
Passover. 

The feast of Tabernacles was to commence on the fifteenth 
day of the seventh month, (tishri) and to embrace eight 
days ; the first and the last being Sabbaths. As this feast of 
the Jews occurred at the end of summer, after the fruits of 
the earth had been harvested, it was called " the Feast of 
Ingathering ; " and was designed to be a season of grateful 
and joyful acknowledgement of the kind Providence of God, 
in providing for their temporal wants. But this feast was 
moreover intended to remind the Jews, in all their genera- 
tion.-, of the houseless and homeless condition of their 
fathers, while dwelling in movable tents in the wilderness. 
The whole people were, therefore, commanded to provide for 
themselves tents or booths for the occasion, and to dwell in 
them during the entire week ; and hence this feast was com- 
monly called, "The Feast of Tabernacles." Thus, while 
the children of Israel were joyously singing their harvest 
home, they were led to contrast their happy condition in the 
land of promise, with that of their ancestors, while on their 
wilderness way to that happy land. 

The practice of commemorating great events is common 
among all civilized and Christian people. It is so in our 
own land. We have commemorative days, and thanksgiv- 
ing days, appointed both by civil and ecclesiastical authority ; 
and it may be laid down as a general rule, that obedience to 



THANKSGIVING. 473 

the requirements of both Church and State in these matters, 
would be productive of good to society. But alas, how are 
these days generally regarded ? Or rather we may ask, are 
they not generally disregarded? Take, for example, the day 
we call Christmas, designed to commemorate the incarnation 
of the Son of God, the most important event that the world's 
history records ; and one that places every human being 
under an infinite obligation of gratitude, love, and obedience 
to God. But is the day usually observed in accordance with 
its intention? It certainly is not. A few, we admit, regard 
it in a proper manner ; but they are the exception, and not 
the rule. To say nothing of the childish and senseless use 
of powder, fire-arms, and other equally silly amusements, 
the great body of the people seem to be influenced by a spirit 
of fun, frolic, and self-gratification, inconsistent with the 
occasion. How supremely ridiculous it is that men should 
make the day, which commemorates the birth of the world's 
Redeemer, an occasion to participate in shooting-matches, 
balls, masquerades, and baccanalian feasts. It is virtually to 
say, that because " God so loved the world as to give His 
only begotten Son " for our redemption, we will do what Ave 
can to dishonor Him, defeat His gracious purposes, and 
secure our own eternal ruin. 

II. The obligations we are under to offer 
thanksgiving to God. Many reasons might be assigned 
why we should give thanks to God ; but we will notice only 
a few. We should give Him thanks, 



474 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

1. Because ive are, so extensively, the recipients of His 
favors. We may well ask, in the spirit of the question that 
St. Paul put to his Corinthian brethren, What have we, that 
we have not received from God ? " It is He that hath made 
us, and not we ourselves." (Psa. 100 : 3.) And from Him 
we derive " every good and perfect gift." We do not claim 
that creation, considered in itself, lays us under an obligation 
to offer thanksgiving to God ; but when we consider it in 
connection with all its attendant circumstances, we see in it 
a strong reason why we should be grateful and thankful to 
our Creator. We are not only " fearfully and wonderfully 
made," but we are made for infinitely benevolent purposes, 
both in regard to the body and the mind. 

To the Providence of God we are indebted for a thousand 
temporal blessings ; such as food, raiment, social advantages, 
civil liberty, educational privileges, national prosperity, and 
personal health. It is true, we hear from every charter, the 
cry of human suffering, for the want of bodily health ; but 
this, in a majority of cases, is self-secured. It is not to be 
wondered at, that persons who abuse themselves by intemp- 
erate eating and drinking, by the use of tobacco and opium, 
and by swallowing every patent medicine that may be thrown 
in their way, should talk about the want of health. The 
wonder is, that there is so much health as we find, in the 
midst of so much abuse. If we were to live according to the 
laws of our nature, as the God of Providence evidently 
intends we should, health would be the rule, and disease the 
exception. 



THANKSGIVING. 475 

We are deeply indebted to the God of all grace, for the 
rich provision which he has made for our spiritual wants. 
In consequence of man's fallen condition darkness covered 
the earth, " and gross darkness the people ; " but he 
graciously came to our relief, by giving us the blessed 
volume of inspired truth ; which is a lamp to our feet, a 
light to our path, and able to make us wise unto salvation. 
Are we guilty before God, and polluted by sin ? He gave 
His only begotten Son to redeem us from the curse of the 
law, and to wash " us from our sins in his own blood." Are 
we, by nature, in a state of exile ? Through the redemption 
of Christ we may " receive the adoption of sons/' and the 
gift of the Holy Spirit to witness our adoption. For these 
and kindred blessings we should most willingly say, in the 
language of the prophet, " O Lord, I will praise thee." 

2. We should offer thanksgiving to God because He has 
commanded it Thus we are exhorted by David ; " O give 
thanks unto the Lord ; call upon His name ; make known 
His deeds among the people. Sing unto Him, sing psalms 
unto Him : talk ye of all His wondrous works." (Psa. 
105 : 1, 2.) Again, " Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in 
His sanctuary : praise Him in the firmament of His power." 
(Psa. 150 : 1.) And again, " Oh that men would praise the 
Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the 
children of men ! " (Psa. 107 : 8.) The prophet Isaiah 
exhorts us to the same duty. " Sing unto the Lord a new 
song, and His praise from the end of the earth." (Isa. 
42 : 10.) 



476 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

3. The nature of the work itself should incline us to offer 
thanksgiving to God. It is, in itself both reasonable and 
pleasurable, and will be the endless employment of the re- 
deemed in heaven. 

1.) It is reasonable. Is it not reasonable to believe, that 
any one who lives entirely upon the bounty of another should 
be grateful and thankful to his benefactor ? Is it not therefor 
eminently reasonable that we should be thankful to God, in 
whom "we live, and move, and have our being?" (Acts 
17 : 28.) Hence the apostle teaches us, that to make a sacri- 
fice of ourselves to God is a u reasonable service." (Rom. 
12: 1.) 

2.) It is pleasurable. Some Christian duties are hard to 
be performed, and some even painful. Unless, therefore, we 
are willing to bear the cross, we cannot be the disciples of 
Christ. But to offer thanksgiving to God is always delight- 
ful. There is hardly any feeling of the heart more agreeable 
than gratitude, and there is no employment more pleasurable 
than praise. 

3.) It is intended to be the endless employment of the re- 
deemed in heaven. Praise and thanksgiving has ever been 
the employment of God's intelligent creatures ; for when he 
laid the corner stone of the material universe, " the morning 
stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy." 
(Job 38 : 7.) Thanksgiving has characterized the pious and 
the holy, in all ages of the world. Both the duty itself, and 
the reason on which it is based, are alluded to by the prophet, 



THANKSGIVING. 477 

when he says, " Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion ; 
for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee." 
(Isa. 12:6.) The anthem of praise in which the whole 
Church may unite is this ; " Now unto the King eternal, 
immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory 
for ever and ever. Amen." (I. Tim. 1 : 17.) 

We do not claim that the offering of thanksgiving to God 
will be the only employment of the redeemed in the heavenly 
world ; but the Scriptures clearly indicate that it will con- 
stitute a prominent feature in their future blessedness. It is 
moreover reasonable to believe, that our songs of praise in 
earthly temples, though affording pleasure and inspiration, 
will be regarded as faint and cold, when compared with the 
sublime and impressive songs of the upper sanctuary. There, 
" far from a world of grief and sin," in the glorious home of 
the ever blessed God, in the presence of our glorified and 
adorable Redeemer, and in association with the holy angels 
and with the millions redeemed from earth, we shall join in 
an anthem of thanksgiving and triumph, the swelling notes 
of which shall be as the sound of the mighty ocean. 



The Service of Christ. 



" If any man serve me, him will my Father honor." (John 
12:26.) 

Job represents the wicked of his day as scoffingly inquir- 
ing, " What is the Almighty, that Ave should serve Him ? 
and what profit shall we have, if we pray unto Him ? " But 
there is a sense in which questions like these may be inno- 
cently proposed. Peter said to his Lord, " Behold, we have 
forsaken all, and have followed thee: what shall we have 
therefore? " Jesus did not reprove him for wishing to know 
what advantage he should derive from the sacrifice he had 
made ; but by way of consolation and encouragement he said 
to him, " Every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, 
or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, 
for my name's sake, shall receive an hundred fold, and shall 
inherit everlasting life." 

In this mode of the Divine procedure, we behold the 
infinite condescension of God, to the weakness of our nature. 
He not only appeals to our understanding, by laying down a 
rule of action for the regulation of our moral conduct ; but 
he also sets before us, in the clearest light, the consequences 
of obedience and of disobedience ; thus addressing both our 
hopes and our fears. He said to his ancient people, " if ye 

478 



THE SERVICE OF CHRIST. 479 

be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land ; 
but if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the 
sword ; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." And 
that He has not changed the principles of His moral govern- 
ment under the gospel dispensation, from what they were 
under the law, is evident from our Lord's declaration, in the 
commission which He gave to his apostles: " He that believeth 
and is baptized shall be saved ; but he that believeth not shall 
be damned." Jesus Christ, therefore, for the encouragement 
of men to become His disciples, issued the proclamation of 
the text, " If any man serve me, him will my Father honor." 
The subject to which our attention is called is the service 
of Christ. We will consider it in regard to its nature, its 
obligations, and its reward. 

I. The mature of the service which Christ 
requires. " If any man serve me." This service, to meet 
the requirements of the gospel, must be, 

1. Personal. There are many things, in the various con- 
cerns of life, which men may do by proxy ; but the service 
which we owe to Christ must be performed by us personally 
and individually. The Divine requisition is, " My son, give 
me thine heart." (Prov. 23 : 26.) The piety of kindred 
cannot compensate for the absence of personal obedience to 
Christ. The Jews boasted of being the children of Abraham 
and thought, no doubt, that because they were his natural 
offspring, they were sure of eternal life ; but Jesus said to 
them, " Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your 



480 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

father ye will do." (John 8 : 44.) The righteousness of 
Christ, though glorious in itself, cannot save us, if we are 
destitute of a personal conformity to the teachings of the 
gospel. This seamless robe was never intended to cover up 
the moral deformities of impenitent sinners. The personal 
character of this service is clearly implied, in the doctrine of 
our individual accountability. St. Paul declares, "We 
must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ ; that 
every one may receive the things done in his body, according 
to that he hath done ; whether it be good or bad." (II. Cor. 
5 : 10.) If every one must give account of himself to Christ, 
every one must serve Christ for himself. 

2. Our service of Christ rnud be sincere. Though Chris- 
tianity inculcates the doctrine that hypocrisy in matters of 
religion is both hateful to God, and ruinous to its subjects, 
yet, such is the perversity <>f our nature, that in religious 
professions and religious observances men are often insincere. 
The general law of acceptable service to God Avas clearly 
propounded by Joshua, in his last address to assembled 
Israel : " Xow therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in 
sincerity, and in truth" (Josh. 24 : 14.) In accord with 
this injunction, our Lord requires His disciples, not only to 
do what He has commanded to be done, but to do it from 
pure and proper motives. The Scribes and Pharisees were 
very exact in the performance of religions duties ; but Christ 
charged them with insincerity, declaring that they fasted, 
prayed, and gave alms, to be seen of men. He even charged 



THE SERVICE OF CHRIST. 481 

them with downright hypocrisy. " Woe unto you, Scribes 
and Pharisees, hypocrites ! for ye devour widows' houses, 
and for a pretence make long prayers : therefore ye shall 
receive the greater damnation." (Matt. 23 : 14.) 

It is no uncommon thing for men to be governed, in their 
religious course, by sinister motives or worldly policy. 
Hence many of the Jews who believed in Christ refused to 
confess Him, " lest they should be put out of the synagogue ; 
for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God." 
(John 12 : 42, 43.) It is evident, moreover, that some mani- 
fested a good degree of zeal in following Him, not from a 
conviction that he was the promised Messiah, but from the 
principle of self interest. To such our Lord said, " Ye seek 
me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat 
of the loaves, and were filled." (John 6 : 28.) St. Paul 
regards sincerity of heart and purity of motives, as being 
essential elements in the service of Christ. He says, " Our 
rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in 
simplicity and godly sincerity, we have had our conversation 
in the world." (II. Cor. 1:12.) In closing his epistle to 
the Ephesians he uses this language ; " Grace be with all 
them that love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity." (Eph. 
6 : 24.) And to Timothy he writes, " Now the end of the 
commandment is charity, out of a pure heart, and of a good 
conscience, and of faith unfeigned." (I. Tim. 1 : 5.) 



482 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

3. Our service of Christ must be open and conspicuous. 
He requires us to make an open confession of our attach- 
ment to Him and His cause. This, however, is a duty to 
which human nature is disinclined ; and when the absolute 
necessity of serving Him is pressed home upon the conscience, 
we naturally ask, Can we not serve Him acceptably, without 
letting the world know it ? This question is emphatically 
negatived by the plain and unequivocal teachings of our 
Lord. He says, " Whosoever shall confess me before men, 
him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. 
But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also 
deny before my Father which is in heaven." (Matt. 10 : 
32, 33.) This passage alone proves the necessity of confess- 
ing Christ before the world, in order to the obtainment of 
life eternal. But He said to His disciples, " Ye are the light 
of the world ; " giving them, at the same time, this com- 
mand : " Let your light so shine before men, that they may 
see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in 
heaven." (Matt. 5 : 14-16.) And then to illustrate and 
enforce His doctrine, He said to them, " A city that is set on 
a hill cannot be hid. Xeither do men light a candle, and 
put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick ; and it giveth 
light to all that are in the house." (Matt. 5 : 14, 15.) We 
see, therefore, that it is the duty of every converted sinner 
to be instrumental in the conversion of others ; but this he 
cannot be, if he conceals his light from the world. 

4. Our service of Christ must be universal. The univer- 



THE SERVICE OF CHRIST. 483 

sality of this service relates to the duties required, the abili- 
ties which we possess, aud the circumstances in which we 
may be placed. It implies, therefore, 

1.) The performance of our whole duty. We are not per- 
mitted to make a selection of the duties that seem to us most 
important, or most agreeable, to the neglect of others. " Woe 
unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites ! for ye pay tithe 
of mint, and anise, and cummin, and have omitted the weight- 
ier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith : these ought 
ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone." (Matt. 
23 : 23.) " Then shall I not be ashamed," said the Psalm- 
ist, "when I have respect unto all thy commandments." 
(Psa. 119:6.) And the language of Jesus is, "Whosoever 
shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach 
men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of 
heaven." (Matt. 5:19.) 

2.) The employment of all our abilities in Christ's service. 
There is a great variety in men's capabilities to work for the 
Master. To one he gives " five talents, to another two, and 
to another one." Every man is able to do something, in 
cultivating the Lord's vineyard ; and for what he coin do, he 
will be held accountable to God. Whether, therefore, men 
possess one talent, or five talents, or ten, the command of the 
Master is the same to all ; " Occupy till I come." 

3.) Devotion to Christ under all circumstances. There are 
many of that class of professors which our Lord, in his par- 
able of the sower and the seed, represented by the stony 
ground. Though they start well, and seem ,to manifest a 



484 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

good degree of zeal for a while ; yet in time of trial they 
become discouraged or offended, and fall away. Others 
there are, who are fitly represented by the thorny ground. 
They embrace Christ, espouse His cause, and engage in His 
service ; but soon " the cares of this world, and the deceitful - 
ness of riches, choke the word/' and the}' become unfruitful. 
Let the disciples of Christ know, therefore, that it is their duty 
to serve their Divine Master under all circumstances ; in 
health and sickness, in prosperity and adversity, in sunshine 
and storm, in good report and evil report, and in youth and 
old age. Jesus says, " He that endureth to the end shall be 
saved." (Matt. 10 : 22.) "Be thou faithful unto death, and 
I will give thee a crown of life." (Rev. 2 : 10.) There- 
fore, " Let us not be weary in well-doing; for in due season 
we shall reap, if we faint not." (Gal. 6 : 9.) 

II. The service of Christ in regard to its obli- 
gations. We are under obligations to serve Him, from 
various considerations, 

1. Because ive are His creatures. By the common con- 
sent of civilized society, a man has a right to that which is 
purely the result of his own labor or ingenuity ; and to all 
the advantages arising from it. In like manner, Christ, 
being our Maker, has an absolute right to us, and to all ser- 
vices. "All things were made by Him ; and without Him 
was not anything made that was made." (John 1 : 3.) " For 
by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that 
are in earth ; visible, and invisible, whether they be thrones, 



THE SERVICE OF CHRIST. 485 

or dominions, or principalities or powers : all things were 
created by Him and for Him ; and He is before all things, 
and by Him all things consist/' (Col. 1 : 16, 17.) 

2. Because we are the 'purchase of His sufferings and 
death,. When we had revolted from God, had sold ourselves 
for naught, and had become liable to the fearful penalty of 
the Divine law, then were we redeemed ; not with corrupti- 
ble things, as silver and gold ; but with the precious blood 
of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot." 
(I. Peter 1 : 18, 19.) St. Paul.says, " Christ hath redeemed 
us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us." 
(Gal. 3:13.) Again he asserts, " Ye are bought with a price, 
therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which 
are God's." (I. Cor. 6 : 20.) 

3. Because He intercedes for us in the court of heaven. 
It is through the intercession of our great High Priest that 
we receive all the good we enjoy. The apostle assures us 
that Christ, who died for our sins, and rose again for our 
justification," is even at the right hand of God, who also 
maketh intercession for us." (Pom. 8 : 34.) And moreover, 
that " He is able to save them to the uttermost that come 
unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make interces- 
sion for them." (Heb. 7 : 25.) Knowing as we do our 
many imperfections, how consoling is that declaration of 
Divine truth ; " If any man sin, we have an Advocate with 
the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous." (I. John 2:1.) 
Though one sin brought death into our world, the mediation 
of Christ secures pardon for many offences. 



486 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

Having called attention to the nature and obligations of 
Christ's service, we will proceed to consider, 

III. Its great reward. "If any man serve nie, 
him will my Father honor." It is not to be expected that 
the disciples of Christ should share largely in worldly honor ; 
nor should it be to them an object of pursuit, or of desire. 
That it is unfavorable to religious prosperity is evident, from 
the reproving question which our Lord put to the Jews ; 
" How can ye believe, which receive honor one of another, 
and seek not the honor that cometh from God only ? " 
(John 5 : 44.) He, therefore, taught His disciples to expect, 
not the honor that comes from men, but reproach and perse- 
cution. And yet, much as ungodly men may seem to over- 
look the followers of Christ, or even affect to dispise them, 
there is, in their inmost nature, a feeling of respect and ven- 
eration for them, that wicked men never can command. Be 
this as it may, however, God has declared, " Them that honor 
me, I will honor." (I. Sam. 2:30.) The Father will 
honor the servants of Christ. 

1. With tokens of His approbation. It is an honor to 
enjoy the approval and friendship of the great, the good, and 
the influential ; but this is of little importance, when com- 
pared with the approbation of God." This state of grace is 
realized by all who are "justified freely, through the redemp- 
tion that is in Jesus Christ." Hence it is asserted, " Being 
justified, by faith, we have peace with God, through our 
Lord Jesus Christ." (Rom. 5:1.) Again, " There, is there- 



THE SERVICE OF CHRIST. 487 

fore, now no condemnation to them which are in Christ 
Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." 
(Rom. 8:1.) It is one thing, however, to be approved of 
God, and quite another to have satisfactory evidence of that 
approval. But this, too, God gives to those whom He justi- 
fies. St. Paul says, "Now we have received, not the spirit 
of the world, but the Spirit which is of God ; that we might 
know the things that are freely given to us of God." (I. 
Cor. 2:12.) And again, "Because ye are sons, God hath 
sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, 
Abba, Father." (Gal. 4 : 6.) St. John says, " Hereby we 
know that He abideth in us, by the Spirit which He hath 
given us." (I. John 3 : 24.) 

2. With His presence and fellowship. If it is an honor to 
have the approval of the good, the wise, and the great, it 
would still be a greater honor to enjoy their friendly visits 
and companionship. But what shall we say of that honor 
which God confers upon poor worms of the dust, when He 
raises them from spiritual death, washes them from moral 
defilement, takes possession of them, as a temple dedicated 
to His worship, and holds communion and fellowship with 
them by His Spirit ? Such is the unspeakable honor which 
God bestows upon all who are the true servants of Christ, 
^ell, therefore, may St. John exclaim, " Behold, what man- 
ner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we 
should be called the sons of God ! " (I. John 3:1.) 

To place this subject in a still clearer light, we will call to 
our aid a few passages cf Scripture. "Thus saith the high 



488 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy ; 
I dwell in the high and holy place ; with him also that is 
of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the 
hnmble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones." (Isa. 
57:15.) Jesus said, "If a man love me, he will keep my 
words; and my Father will love him, and we will come unto 
him, and make our abode with him." (John 14:23.) 
Jesus makes this general proclamation to all men : "Behold, 
1 stand at the door and knock; if any man hear my voice, 
and open the door, 1 will come in to him, and will sup with 
him, and he with me/' ( Rev. •" : 20.) Well may St. John 
say, "Truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His 
Son Jesus Christ." (I. John 1 : 3.) 

3. With a renewed and holy nature. Man's chief dignity 
and honor consists in moral excellence. By nature he is 
morally depraved, and a child of wrath ; but by grace the 
defiled temple of his heart may be purified, and he made to 
bear the image of God. If any man be in Christ, he is a 
new creature ; old things are passed away ; behold, all things 
are become new." (II. Cor. 5 : 17.) Thus St. Paul exhorts 
his Ephesian brethren to " put on the new man, which after 
God is created in righteousness and true holiness." (Eph. 
4 : 24.) And for the Thessalonians he offers this prayer ; 
" The very God of peace sanctify you wholly ; and I pray 
God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blame- 
less, unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." And then he 
adds, by way of encouragement, " faithful is He that calleth 



THE SERVICE OF CHRIST. 489 

you, who also will do it," (I. Thess. 5 : 23, 24.) Peter 
teaches the same doctrine when he says, " Seeing ye have 
purified your souls in obeying the truth, through the Spirit, 
unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one 
another with a pure heart fervently." (I. Peter 1 : 22.) 

4. With dignified titles. They are called " the chil- 
dren of God." (Matt, 5 : 9.) " Sons of God." (I. John 
3 : 1.) " Elect of God." (Col. 3 : 12.) " The light of the 
world." (Matt. 5 : 14.) U A chosen generation, a royal 
priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people." (I. Peter 2 : 9.) 
These Divinely bestowed titles, unlike the empty flattering 
titles of the world, are indicative of the real worth and high 
character of God's people. Let all the servants of Christ 
know, therefore, that though they may be lightly esteemed 
among men, they are of great value in the sight of God. 

5. With peace and consolation in death. The closing 
hour of man's earthly pilgrimage is peculiarly solemn. 
How many poor sinners come to this hour, without any prep- 
aration to meet their Judge. They have been warned of 
their clanger, and pressingly invited to be reconciled to God ; 
but they have disregarded alike both the thunders of Sinai 
and the melting strains of Calvary. Though they "put far 
away the evil day," yet it has come upon them in an unex- 
pected moment, and finds them in their sins, and without 
hope. " Fools men may live, but fools they cannot die." 
The servants of Christ, however, have a right to expect, 
from the teachings of the Bible, that God, in His infinite 



490 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

grace, will cause their dying hour to be one of peace and 
triumph. David said, " Though I walk through the valley 
of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil : for Thou art 
with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me." (Psa. 
23 : 4.) Again, " Mark the perfect man, and behold the 
upright in heart ; for the end of that man is peace." (Psa« 
37 : 37.) Solomon testifies that " the righteous hath hope in 
his death." (Prov. 14 : 32.) St. Paul says, " The sting of 
death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law ; but thanks 
be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord 
Jesus Christ." (I. Cor. 15:56,57.) In view of these 
inspired declarations every Christian can heartily say, " Let 
me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be 
like his." (Num. 23 : 10.) 

6. With a life of blessedness in the world to come. The 
honor implied in the blessedness of heaven is infinitely 
beyond the comprehension of finite minds. We can only 
notice a few facts which it involves, as presented in the 
Scriptures. God will honor the servants of Christ, First, 
With resurrected and spiritual bodies. " It is sown a nat- 
ural body ; it is raised a spiritual body." (I. Cor. 15 : 44.) 
He " shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned 
like unto his glorious body." (Phil. 3 : 21.) Second, With 
perfect moral purity. They " have washed their robes, and 
made them white in the blood of the Lamb." (Rev. 7 : 14.) 
Third, With the society of the great and the holy of all ages 
and nations. They " shall sit down with Abraham, and 



THE SERVICE OF CHRIST. 491 

Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of God." (Matt. 8 : 11.) 
And Fourth, With access to the glorified Redeemer. In the 
revelations which He made to St. John He issued this 
general proclamation ; " To him overcometh will I grant to 
sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set 
down with my Father in His throne." (Rev. 3 : 21.) 



Character of Daniel 



" Now when Daniel knew that the writing ivas signed, he went 
into his house; and his ivindoivs being opened in his 
chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three 
times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, 
as he did aforetime.^ {Dan. 6 : 10.) 

God has employed both precept and example, in convey- 
ing religious instruction to the human mind. We have, 
therefore, not only Divinely inspired truth, to direct our steps 
aright ; but we have also this heavenly instruction exempli- 
fied, in the experience and practice of those holy men of 
God, whose history has come down to us, by means of the 
sacred Scriptures. 

Among the ancient worthies, whose virtues we should 
imitate, no one occupies a higher rank than the prophet 
Daniel. He is brought into view under a variety of circum- 
stances, in all of which he appears in a most favorable light. 
He stands before us, therefore, in his entire history, without 
a single blemish on his moral, religious, or political character 
— a fact which can be truthfully predicated of very few. 
We bring him before you now, that you may view him in 
the light of Divine truth, and be inclined to copy his bright 

492 



CHARACTER OF DANIEL. 493 

example. But, before we take up the main question of dis- 
cussion — the character of Daniel as a religious example, we 
will 

1. Call attention to a few leading facts in 

THE HISTORY OF HIS LIFE. We notice, 

1.. His parentage, time, and captivity. We have no relia- 
ble account of the immediate parents of this distinguished 
man. We only know that he was an Israelite of the tribe 
of Judah, and of royal blood. It is thought by some that 
he was born in Jerusalem, because the angel Gabriel, in talk- 
ing with him, calls Jerusalem his city ; but the date of his 
nativity is not known. We cannot, therefore, determine, 
with any degree of certainty, what his age was, when he and 
his people were taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar, and car- 
ried into Babylon. Some have supposed that this sad event 
took place while Daniel was in a state of minority. But as 
we have evidence that he was " skilled in all wisdom, and 
cunning in knowledge, and understanding science," we do 
not hesitate to suppose, judging from the degree of mental 
development ascribed to him, that the date of his majority 
preceded that of his captivity. 

2. His extraordinary elevation. This consisted in both 
wealth and official promotion. The first fact contributive 
to this elevation was the revelation which he made to Nebu- 
chadnezzar, both of his dream which he had forgotten, and 
of its interpretation. He was soon called upon to interpret 



494 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

another dream for the same monarch, and such was his 
appreciation of Daniel's knowledge, that he made him mas- 
ter over all the wise men of his whole kingdom. 

At a later date in the history of Babylon, and after the 
accession of Belshazzar to the throne of his father, it pleased 
the king to make a great feast to a thousand of his lords. 
On this notable occasion he ordered the golden and silver 
vessels, of which his father had profanely robbed the holy 
temple in the city of Jerusalem, to be brought ; " that the 
king, his princes, his wives, and his concubines might drink 
therein." Thus they drank wine and praised their idol 
gods. 

As this stage of the feast, the hilarity of the participants 
was suddenly disturbed, by the appearance of the fingers of 
a man's hand, which wrote upon the plastering of the wall 
in the king's palace. The king, seeing the hand which 
wrote, was conscience smitten, and greatly troubled in mind ; 
and calling to him the wise men of his kingdom, he offered 
a large reward to any one of them who would read the writ- 
ing on the wall, and give its interpretation. But no one 
was found able to do either. 

At last, through the agency of the queen, the king called 
in Daniel, and said to him, " if thou canst read the writing, 
and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt 
be clothed in scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy 
neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom." Daniel 
gave the king to understand that he desired none of his gifts ; 



CHARACTER OF DANIEL. 495 

but that he would read the writing, and make known to him 
its interpretation. This Daniel proceded to do ; and though 
his interpretation of the writing was a sad message for Bel- 
shazzar, yet he bestowed upon the prophet all he had 
promised ; and Daniel was proclaimed " the third ruler in 
the kingdom." That night Belshazzar was slain, and the 
kingdom passed into the hands of Darius the Median. 

It was under the reign of this monarch that Daniel reached 
•(he summit of his elevation. It pleased Darius to divide his 
kingdom into one hundred and twenty districts. To these 
he appointed an equal number of princes, and over them 
three presidents, "of whom Daniel was first." Thus we see 
him standing before king Darius, second in authority in all 
that vast realm. 

3. The opposition and persecution which He suffered. 
Daniel's popularity and official elevation excited the envy of 
aspiring courtiers ; who banded themselves to rob him of his 
honors. Alas, how often has this hateful spirit been shame- 
fully manifested in the history of the world ! It is probable 
that this infernal principle moved Satan to attempt the 
destruction of our first parents. It is certain that Cain was 
moved by envy to kill his brother ; Joseph's brothers to sell 
him into slavery ; and Hainan to sigh for the death of Mor- 
decai. Even the spotless character of the blessed Jesus did 
not save Him from being envied by the Jewish priests ; for 
it was through envy they delivered Him up to be crucified. 
So likewise, it was envy that moved the opposers of Daniel 
to undertake his destruction. We now proceed to consider, 



496 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

4. The scheme adopted by Daniel's enemies to secure his 
overthrow. It was do easy task for tliem to divise a feasible 
plan for the accomplishment of their wicked purpose. After 
a careful examination of every available source of informa- 
tion in regard to Daniel's past life, in order to find some fact 
on which they could base a charge, they gravely concluded 
that, so far as his general character was concerned, he was 
without fault : and that, unless they could procure the enact- 
ment of some law which would be in conflict with the law of 
his God, they could not succeed. Hence they agreed to ask 
Darius to make an unalterable decree, that if any one wotdd 
pray to any god or man for thirty days, except to the king 
himself, lie should be cast into the den of lions. 

From the procedure <»i' the princes and presidents, in this 
ease, two things are obvious: — the first is, their real opinion 
respecting the true character of Daniel. They admitted that 
morally and politically he was faultless. They knew that he 
prayed daily, in his own house, to the God of his fathers. 
Had they supposed him to be a time-serving politician, they 
must have seen that he could easily adapt himself to the 
letter of this decree, and thus evade its penalty. But know- 
ing Daniel to be a man of unbending piety, they believed 
that he would continue to pray as he had been doing, regard- 
less of the king's decree. Thus they hoped to make Daniel's 
loyalty to God the means of his destruction. 

But secondly, their want of moral honesty is equally dis- 
coverable. They said, in their petition to the king, that "all 



CHARACTER OF DANIEL. 497 

the presidents of ,tke kingdom, the governors, and the 
princes/' had consulted together, to 8sk for the decree. This 
was not true ; for Daniel their head and legal chairman was 
not with them. Moreover, they wickedly flattered the king, 
in asking him to make a decree, in which he would be pro- 
claimed the only object of worship in heaven or on earth, 
for thirty days. Thus by falsehood and flattery, Darius was 
persuaded to yield to the wishes of the presidents and princes, 
and make the desired decree. This is the writing referred to 
in the text. This will lead us to view Daniel, 

II. As a religious example. He is an example, 
1. Of religious stability. This is a New Testament 
requirement, and a trait of character which is indispensible 
in the service of God. Hence St. Paul's exhortation to all 
Christians is, " Be ye steadfast, immovable." That Daniel 
possessed this grace in an eminent degree, is established by 
the history of his life. His religious stability was tested, 

1.) By the increase of wealth. Religious prosperity, and 
success in gaining this world's goods, do not usually go 
together. It is easier for a man to serve God acceptably 
while sojourning in the valley of poverty, than when he is 
abounding in wealth. There is something in the mere pos- 
session of earthly treasure that endangers the soul. There is 
an awful lesson taught in that exclamation of our Lord's, 
"How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the 
kingdom of God ! " (Luke 18 : 24,) 



498 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

We know not the amount of Daniel's wealth when Darius 
issued this strange decree; but judging from several circum- 
stances in his history, it must have been considerable. This 
we know, that lie lived in his own house, and controlled his 
domestic affairs with a good degree of independence. Even 
this Avas a wonderful improvement in the condition of a poor 
captive, on drill to be qualified for a waiter in the presence of 
the king. But no change of outward circumstances could 
work any change in Daniel's religious character. The same 
principle that moved him to refuse the daily portion of meat 
and drink which Nebuchadnezzar had appointed for him, 
moved him to disregard the wicked decree of king Darius: — 
" He purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself." 
Daniel's religious stability was tested, 

2.) By great popularity. Though hated by aspiring and 
envious courtiers, he was venerated by thousands, even in that 
idolatrous land ; in every part of which his name became a 
household word. There is a sense in which a degree of pop- 
ularity may be righteously desired. St. Paul savs, " Let 
every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edifica- 
tion." (Rom. 15:2.) When popularity is a " baseless 
fabric," or when it becomes the supreme object of desire 
and pursuit, it is an unmitigated evil ; but when it is 
based on real merit, and comes to men uncalled for, it 
is a talent which may be employed for good. There are 
only a few, however, that can realize popularity in a high 
degree, without injury to themselves ; but of this few, 
Daniel the prophet was one. His stability was tested, 



CHARACTER OF DANIEL. 499 

3.) By weighty official duties. Christian men, engaged 
in business, are sometimes inclined to neglect their religious 
duties, for the supposed want of time ; but this is a great 
mistake. There are few persons who do not spend more time 
unemployed, or triflingly employed, than all the special 
duties of religion require. Where shall we look to find a 
greater weight of official responsibility than that which fell 
to the lot of Daniel ? Truly, the government of the king- 
dom was upon his shoulders. He was required to hear the 
reports of a hundred and twenty princes, from as many parts 
of the vast realm, and to transmit them all, in due form, to 
the king. And yet, he found time to worship the God of his 
fathers three times every day. His stability was tested, 

4.) By a royal decree, that whosoever would pray to God 
for thirty days, should be cast into the den of lions. We 
can hardly imagine that any one could be placed in a more 
trying condition, than Avas that in which the king's decree 
placed Daniel. It is therefore to be supposed, that conflict- 
ing reasonings passed through the prophet's mind, when this 
strange decree was brought to his knowledge ; and that he 
endured at least a momentary struggle in determining what 
to do. The outcome of the case, however, proclaims the 
prophet's loyalty to the living God, and the correctness of 
the course which he pursued. 

It is highly probable that when Daniel had read the king's 
decree, he soliloquized somewhat in the following manner : — 
" I cannot believe that Darius, in making this decree, intended 



500 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

to do me any injury. He lias given nie abundant proof 
that he is iny true friend. He has bestowed upon me a posi- 
tion next to himself in the government of his kingdom ; and 
in doing so, he has brought me under obligations of grati- 
tude to himself and obedience to his laws. How, then, can 
I become an ingrate, disregard his authority, and incur his 
displeasure? The decree, I know, will not be altered; and 
if I do not obey it, I must expect to suffer its dreadful 
penalty. But still more dreadful to me is the thought of 
dying as a malefactor — of having my name recorded on the 
roll of infamy, and thus handed down to succeeding genera- 
tions. 

Many who bear the name of Christian, could solve a prob- 
lem like the one with which Daniel was confronted, even if 
it required them to refrain from praying to God for twice 
thirty days. Daniel, however, viewed this whole question 
in its true light, and in all its bearings ; and acted accord- 
ingly. He seems to have recognized the fact, that God had 
raised him up in that dark land, to reprove their abomina- 
tions, and to lead them to a knowledge of the true God ; and 
most faithfully did he perform the work to which he was 
called. 

AVhen Daniel, instead of obeying the king's wicked decree, 
went into his house, opened his windows, and worshipped his 
God, as he was accustomed to do, he taught the very impor- 
tant lesson, that men are sacredly bound, fearless of conse- 
quences, to make the revealed will of God the rule of their 
moral conduct. AVe come now to consider Daniel, 



CHARACTER OF DANIEL. 501 

II. AS AN EXAMPLE OF PIOUS DEVOTION. Ill this 

respect he may be regarded as an example both as to matter 
and manner. 

1.) As to matter. This consisted in prayer and thanks- 
giving. " He prayed and gave thanks before his God." 
Prayer is the offering up of our desires to God, for the be- 
stowrnent of favors according to His will. Daniel was a 
man of prayer, as his biography proves ; and perhaps, he 
never felt the necessity of Divine help more, than in the 
emergency to which our text relates. Hence he goes, in 
humble supplication, to the God of his fathers, the God of 
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, to his own God, who had 
done so much for him, that he might obtain help in the 
trying hour. Prayer is the vital breath of all true piety ; 
and God has made it both the duty and the privilege of all 
men to call upon Him in this means of grace. How encour- 
aging is the promise, that " Whosoever shall call upon the 
name of the Lord shall be saved." 

Thanksgiving consists in a grateful acknowledgment of the 
favors which God bestows upon ourselves or upon others. 
Some may think it strange, that in this hour of extreme per- 
plexity the prophet could find matter for thanksgiving ; but 
in this respect he was not singular. Pious men are always 
thankful to God ; feeling, as they must, in all conditions, 
that they owe Him an incalculable debt of gratitude for His 
reedeeming grace. Thus Jonah gave thanks to God in the 
depths of the sea. Paul and Silas, when incarcerated in a 



502 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

gloomy prison, with their feet made fast in the stocks, sang 
praises to God at the midnight hour ; and martyrs have been 
known to rejoice in God amid the names by which their 
bodies were consumed. 

2.) As to manner. "He went into Ins house; and his 
windows being opened in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he 
kneeled upon his knees three times a day." Here we have a 
statement of several facts, in regard to the manner of Daniel's 
devotional services, in relation to which we remark, 

(1.) That the whole service is simply a case of family 
worship. Daniel, living, as he did, in the midst of idolatry, 
had no opportunity of uniting with the worshippers of the 
true God, in any public means of grace. In this condition, 
and as was his right, he established a system of family 
religion in his own house, in which the God of Israel was 
acknowledged and worshipped. We do not affirm that 
Daniel was blest with a wife and children, though this is 
probable ; but that he had a sufficient force of domestic help 
to attend to his household affairs, is beyond a reasonable 
doubt. These, with himself, would constitute a veritable 
family, in which he faithfully worshipped God. And that 
he was willing to sacrifice his life for the maintenance of this 
service in his own family, is positive proof that he regarded 
it of infinite importance. But if an inspired prophet Avould 
rather meet death in the lions' den, than refrain from family 
worship even thirty days, what are we to think of the Chris- 
tian, in whose dwelling the voice of prayer is seldom or never 
heard ? 



CHARACTER OF DANIEL. 503 

(2.) It was a frequent and regular service. " He kneeled 
upon his knees three times a day." The Bible does not tell 
us how frequently family worship should be observed. 
Daniel, in attending to it three times a day, may have followed 
the example of some of the most pious Jews. David said 
"Evening, and morning, and at noon will I pray, and cry 
aloud ; and He (God) shall hear my voice." (Psa. 55 : 17.) 

The benefits of family prayed, however, do not depend so 
much on its frequency, as on its unbending regularity. 
Whether we adopt the plan of having family worship once, 
twice, or three times a day, it ought to be understood by all 
concerned, that when its hour arrives, everything else must 
be laid aside. 

(3.) It was a service performed in the attitude of humil- 
ity. " He kneeled upon his knees." We do not hesitate to 
say, that men may offer acceptable prayer to God in any atti- 
tude of the body, if the heart is right ; but we feel bound to 
say, that we regard kneeling as the most suitable attitude in 
which a sinful and helpless creature can approach the mercy- 
seat of the infinite Jehovah ; and surely none is more Scrip- 
tural. " O come," says the Psalmist, " let us worship and 
bow down ; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker." (Psa. 
95 : 6.) W r as it not the sublime of humility, to see Daniel, 
who had been exalted to the second place of official authority 
in the kingdom of Darius, meekly kneeling at the family 
alter, and worshipping the God of Israel. 



504 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

(4.) It was a service performed in faith. " His windows 
being opened in his chamber toward Jerusalem." This indi- 
cates that Daniel had not forgotten the history of the temple 
service in Jerusalem, and that he still confided in Israel's 
God. When Solomon dedicated the Temple he prayed, that, 
if the Israelites should be carried away captive into a strange 
laud, and should there pray to God, with their faces toward 
Jerusalem and the holy Temple, the Lord would hear them, 
and grant them their request. With Daniel, this prayer 
seems to have had the force of a Divine promise, on the pro- 
visions of which he implicitly relied ; and therefore, though 
far away from the land that gave him birth, and from the 
home of his youth, he could look through the opened 
windows of his chamber toward Jerusalem and the holy 
Temple, and offer to Israel's God the prayer of faith. 

We will close our discourse by calling attention to three 
deductions. And 

1. The people of God may expect to meet with trial* in the 
present life. Their pathway, like that of the Israelites on 
their journey to Canaan, lies through "a waste howling 
wilderness," " Where storm after storm rises o'er the dark 
way." Such was the journey of life to patriarchs, prophets, 
and primitive Christians ; and such it will be in all time to 
come. Jesus said to his disciples, " In the world ye shall 
have tribulation." (John 16:33.) And St. Paul asserts, 
a All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer perse- 
cution." (II. Tim. 3:12.) 



CHARACTER OF DANIEL. 505 

2. Obedience to God is the path of safety. Daniel was 
arrested and cast into the lions 7 den, because he refused to 
obey the king's Avicked decree ; but God sent his angel who 
shut the mouths of the lions, that they could do him no harm. 
How peaceful and happy must have been the prophet's condi- 
tion, when compared with that of the self-condemned and 
sleepless king. Realizing as he did the guardianship of a 
holy angel, the feast of a good conscience, and a prospect of 
victory over his enemies, how could he be otherwise than 
happy ? Nor would it be extravagant to suppose that there 
was heard, issuing from that place of intended execution, and 
borne upon the wings of the wind, a psalm of praises to the 
God of Israel ; while, in the language of a late popular 
divine, " the angry lions growled notes of base to the joyous 
anthem." But morning came, and Daniel was saved and 
free. 

3. . To obey God faithfully is the surest way to promote His 
glory and our good. The three Hebrew children, Shadrach, 
Meshach, and Abednego, refused to worship the golden image 
set up by Nebuchadnezzar ; for which they were cast into the 
fiery furnace. But when God so miraculously delivered them, 
the king was astonished, and said, " Blessed be the God of 
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent His angel, 
and delivered His servants who trusted in Him." Moreover, 
he made a decree, forbidding any one in his kingdom to 
speak a word against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and 

33 



506 GOSPEL TIDINGS. 

Abednego ; but them he promoted in the province of Baby- 
lon. In like manner, when, Daniel was miraculously 
delivered from the den of lions, king Darius made a decree, 
that in every part of his kingdom, men should fear and 
tremble before the God of Daniel. Thus we see, that by 
these two cases of uncompromising fidelity, two idolatrous 
monarchs were led to acknowledge the living and true God, 
and to make decrees which proci aimed Him as such to all 
their subjects. How gracious and comforting, therefore, is 
the announcement which God has made to all His suffering 
saints individually ; " Call upon me in the day of trouble : I 
will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me." 



Deacidified using the Bookkeeper proces 
Neutralizing agent: Magnesium Oxide 
Treatment Date: May 2006 

ill 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




017 731 345 2 









Mi 



SbttfltfT* 



llrallf 



